T H E Q U R A N
THE QURAN, a book which brings glad tidings to mankind along
with divine admonition, stresses the importance of man’s discovery
of truth on both spiritual and intellectual planes.
Every book has its objective and the objective of the Quran is to
make man aware of the Creation plan of God. That is, to tell man
why God created this world; what the purpose is of settling man on
earth; what is required from man in his pre-death life span, and what
he is going to confront after death. The purpose of the Quran is to
make man aware of this reality, thus serving to guide man on his
entire journey through life into the after-life.
The main themes of the Quran are enlightenment, closeness to
God, peace and spirituality. The Quran uses several terms, tawassum,
tadabbur, and tafakkur, which indicate the learning of lessons
through reflection, thinking and contemplation on the signs of God
scattered across the world. The present translation of the Quran has
been done keeping in mind these very themes.
THE QURAN
Translated by
MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN
FARIDA KHANAM
GOODWORD BOOKS
This translation of the Quran is copyright free
First published by Goodword Books 2009
Reprinted 2015
Goodword Books
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.
C O N T E N T S
Introduction ix
The Creation Plan of God x
A Book of Divine Warning xi
The Inner Spirit and God Realization xii
The Word of God xiii
A Peaceful Ideological Struggle xiv
A Revealed Book xvii
How to Read the Quran? xviii
Chronological Table of the Quran xix
Map of Arabian Peninsula at the Time of the
Revelation of the Quran xxi
T H E Q U R A N
1. The Opening (Al-Fatihah) 1
2. The Heifer (Al-Baqarah) 1
3. The Family of ‘Imran (Al-‘Imran) 36
4. Women (Al-Nisa’) 56
5. The Table (Al-Ma’idah) 77
6. The Cattle (Al-An‘am) 92
7. The Heights (Al-A‘raf) 110
8. The Spoils of War (Al-Anfal) 129
9. Repentance (Al-Tawbah) 136
10. Jonah (Yunus) 151
11. Hud (Hud) 162
12. Joseph (Yusuf) 173
13. Thunder (Al-Ra‘d) 183
14. Abraham (Ibrahim) 188
15. The Rocky Tract (Al-Hijr) 193
16. Bees (Al-Nahl) 197
17. The Night Journey (Al-Isra’) 208
18. The Cave (Al-Kahf) 218
19. Mary (Maryam) 227
20. Ta Ha (Ta Ha) 23321. The Prophets (Al-Anbiya’) 242
22. The Pilgrimage (Al-Hajj) 249
23. The Believers (Al-Mu’minun) 256
24. Light (Al-Nur) 263
25. The Criterion (Al-Furqan) 270
26. The Poets (Al-Shu‘ara’) 276
27. The Ants (Al-Naml) 284
28. The Story (Al-Qasas) 291
29. The Spider (Al-‘Ankabut) 299
30. The Romans (Al-Rum) 305
31. Luqman (Luqman) 310
32. Prostration (Al-Sajdah) 31333. The Confederates (Al-Ahzab) 315
34. Sheba (Saba’) 323
35. The Creator (Fatir) 328
36. Ya Sin (Ya Sin) 333
37. The Ranks (Al-Saffat) 337
38. Sad (Sad) 343
39. The Crowds (Al-Zumar) 348
40. The Forgiver (Ghafir) 355
41. Revelations Well Expounded (Fussilat) 362
42. Mutual Consultation (Al-Shura) 367
43. Ornaments of Gold (Al-Zukhruf) 372
44. Smoke (Al-Dukhan) 37745. Kneeling (Al-Jathiyah) 380
46. The Sand Dunes (Al-Ahqaf) 383
47. Muhammad (Muhammad) 387
48. Victory (Al-Fath) 390
49. The Apartments (Al-Hujurat) 394
50. Qaf (Qaf) 396
vi Contents
51. Scattering Winds (Al-Dhariyat) 398
52. Mount Sinai (Al-Tur) 401
53. The Setting Star (Al-Najm) 40354. The Moon (Al-Qamar) 405
55. The Merciful (Al-Rahman) 408
56. The Inevitable Event (Al-Waqi‘ah) 411
57. Iron (Al-Hadid) 414
58. The Pleading (Al-Mujadalah) 417
59. Banishment (Al-Hashr) 420
60. She Who is Tested (Al-Mumtahanah) 423
61. Ranks (Al-Saff) 425
62. The Day of Congregation (Al-Jumu‘ah) 427
63. The Hypocrites (Al-Munafiqun) 428
64. Loss and Gain (Al-Taghabun) 429
65. Divorce (Al-Talaq) 43166. Prohibition (Al-Tahrim) 433
67. The Kingdom (Al-Mulk) 434
68. The Pen (Al-Qalam) 436
69. The Inevitable Hour (Al-Haqqah) 439
70. The Ascending Stairways (Al-Ma‘arij) 441
71. Noah (Nuh) 442
72. The Jinn (Al-Jinn) 444
73. The Wrapped One (Al-Muzzammil) 445
74. Wrapped in his Cloak (Al-Muddaththir) 447
75. The Day of Resurrection (Al-Qiyamah) 449
76. Man (Al-Insan) 450
77. Those that are Sent Forth (Al-Mursalat) 45278. The Tidings (Al-Naba’) 453
79. The Pluckers (Al-Nazi‘at) 455
80. He Frowned (‘Abasa) 456
81. Folding Up (Al-Takwir) 457
82. The Cleaving Asunder (Al-Infitar) 458
83. Those who Give Short Measure (Al-Mutaffifin) 459
Contents vii
84. The Bursting Open (Al-Inshiqaq) 460
85. The Constellations (Al-Buruj) 461
86. That which Comes in the Night (Al-Tariq) 462
87. The Most High (Al-A‘la) 462
88. The Overwhelming Event (Al-Ghashiyah) 463
89. The Dawn (Al-Fajr) 464
90. The City (Al-Balad) 465
91. The Sun (Al-Shams) 465
92. Night (Al-Layl) 466
93. The Glorious Morning Light (Al-Duha) 467
94. Comfort (Al-Sharh) 467
95. The Fig (Al-Tin) 468
96. The Clot (Al-‘Alaq) 468
97. The Night of Destiny (Al-Qadr) 469
98. The Clear Evidence (Al-Bayyinah) 469
99. The Earthquake (Al-Zalzalah) 470
100. The Snorting Horses (Al-‘Adiyat) 470
101. The Clatterer (Al-Qari‘ah) 471
102. Greed for More and More (Al-Takathur) 471
103. The Passage of Time (Al-‘Asr) 472
104. The Backbiter (Al-Humazah) 472
105. The Elephant (Al-Fil) 472
106. Quraysh (Quraysh) 473
107. Small Things (Al-Ma‘un) 473
108. Abundance (Al-Kawthar) 473
109. Those who Deny the Truth (Al-Kafirun) 474
110. Help (Al-Nasr) 474
111. Twisted Fibre (Al-Masad) 474
112. Oneness (Al-Ikhlas) 475
113. Daybreak (Al-Falaq) 475
114. People (Al-Nas) 475
Index 476
viii Contents
I N T R O D U C T I O N
The Quran is the Book of God. It has been preserved in its entirety
for all time to come. Although written originally in Arabic, it has
been made accessible, thanks to translations, to those who have no
knowledge of Arabic. While no substitute for the original, translations
serve the signal purpose of spreading the word of God far beyond
the Arabic-speaking peoples to a far broader spectrum of humanity.
The Quran is apparently in the Arabic language, but in reality, it
is in the language of nature, that is, the language in which God
directly addressed all human beings at the time of Creation. This
divine invocation of humanity is ever-present in the consciousness
of all human beings, that is why the Quran is universally
understandable—to some on a conscious plane, and to others at the
subconscious level. This reality has been described in the Quran as
‘clear revelations in the hearts of those who have been given
knowledge.’ This verse goes on to say that ‘none deny Our
revelations save the wrongdoers’ (29:49).
This means that the Divine Reality, explained by the Quran on a
conscious plane, pre-exists in man at the level of the subconscious.
The message of the Quran is not, therefore, something which is
alien to man. It is in fact a verbal expression of that same Divine
Reality which is in consonance with man’s own nature and with
which he is already familiar. The Quran explains this by saying that
those born in later times were all initially born at the time of the
creation of Adam and, at that time, God had directly addressed all
these human souls.
This event is thus alluded to in the Quran:
‘[Prophet], when your Lord brought forth the offspring from the
loins of the Children of Adam and made them bear witness about
themselves, He said, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and they replied, ‘Yes,
we bear witness that You are.’ So you cannot say on the Day of
Resurrection, ‘We were not aware of this’ (7:172).
In the following verse, the Quran makes further mention of the
dialogue between God and man:
‘Surely We offered Our trust to the heavens and the earth, and the
hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man
undertook it. But he has proved a tyrant and a fool’ (33:72).
The Quran, for man, is in essence already known to him, rather
than an entirely unknown entity. In reality, the Quran is the
unfolding of the human mind.
When one whose nature is alive—having saved himself from
later conditioning—reads the Quran, those brain cells will be
activated wherein God’s first address lies preserved. If we keep this
in mind, it will not be difficult to appreciate that the translation of
the Quran is a valid means of understanding it.
If God’s address was the First Covenant, the Quran is the Second
Covenant. Each testifies to the veracity of the other. If one has little,
or even no grasp of the Arabic language, and can read the scriptures
only in translation, he should not anticipate that he will be frustrated
in his understanding of the Quran, for the Quranic concept of man
as the natural recipient of God’s word has become a reality in
modern times. The science of the genetic code and the findings of
anthropology both fully support this viewpoint.
The Creation Plan of God
Every book has its objective and the objective of the Quran is to
make man aware of the Creation plan of God. That is, to tell man
x Introduction
why God created this world; what the purpose is of settling man on
earth; what is required from man in his pre-death life span, and what
he is going to confront after death. Man is born as an eternal
creature. When God created man as such, He divided his life span
into two periods, the pre-death period, which is a time of trial, and
the post-death period, which is the time for receiving the rewards
or punishment merited by one’s actions during one’s lifetime. These
take the form of eternal paradise or eternal hell. The purpose of the
Quran is to make man aware of this reality. This is the theme of this
divine Book, which serves to guide man through his entire journey
through life into the after-life.
It would be correct to say that man is a seeker by birth. These
questions lurk in everyone’s mind: Who am I? What is the purpose
of my life? What is the reality of life and death? What is the secret
of man’s success and failure? etc. According to the Quran, the
answer to these questions is that the present world is the testing
ground and whatever man has been endowed with in his pre-death
period is all a part of the test. The Hereafter is the place where the
result of the test will be taken into account by the Almighty and
whatever man receives in the life after death, by way of reward or
punishment, will be commensurate with his deeds in this world. The
secret of man’s success in this life is to understand God’s creation
plan and map out his life accordingly.
A Book of Divine Warning
The Quran is a book of divine warning. A combination of lessons
and admonitions, it would be even more appropriately called a book
of wisdom. The Quran does not follow the pattern of the traditional
didactic book. In fact, when the average reader picks up the Quran,
Introduction xi
it appears to him to be a collection of fragmentary statements.
Apparently this feeling is not unreal. But this arrangement of the
Quran is not due to any shortcoming, but is rather in conformance
with the Quranic plan of retaining its original form in order to fulfill
its purpose of conveying the message of truth to the reader who may,
in his forays into the scriptures, read only one page, one verse or
one line at a time.
One vital aspect of the Quran is that it is a reminder of the
blessings granted by the Supreme Benefactor. The most important
of these are the exceptional qualities with which God endowed man
when He created him. Another great blessing is that He settled him
on the earth, a planet where all kinds of support systems existed for
his benefit. The purpose of the Quran is to ensure that, while
enjoying these blessings of nature, man will keep his Benefactor in
mind: he must acknowledge the munificence of his Creator. It is in
so doing that man will gain entry into eternal paradise; ignoring his
Benefactor, on the other hand, will lead man straight to hell. The
Quran is indeed a reminder of this inescapable reality.
The Inner Spirit and God Realization
One important quality of the Quran is that it gives us only basic,
but essential principles, often resorting to reiteration to emphasize
them. On the contrary, non-basics, or matters relating only to form,
constitute only a negligible part of the scriptures. This is in
consonance with the Quranic scheme, the importance of form being
entirely secondary. To the Quran, only those precepts are important
which figure as fundamental guidelines. This aspect of the Quran
is so clear that its reader cannot but appreciate it.
The truth is that the inner spirit is of the utmost importance in the
xii Introduction
building of the Islamic personality. Once the inner spirit is
developed, correct form will naturally ensue. But form on its own
can never produce the inner spirit. That is why the aim of the Quran
is to initiate and bring to fruition an intellectual revolution within
man. The expression used by the Quran for this intellectual
revolution is ma‘rifah (realization of truth) (5:83).
The Quran stresses the importance of man’s discovery of truth at
the level of realization. True faith in God is what one achieves at
such a level. Where there is no realization, there is no faith.
The Word of God
When you read the Quran, you will repeatedly find it stated that it
is the word of God. Apparently this is a plain fact. But when seen
in context, it is an extraordinary statement. There are many books
in the world which are believed to be sacred. But, except for the
Quran, we do not find any religious book which thus projects itself
as the word of God. This kind of statement, appearing uniquely in
the Quran, gives a point of departure to the reader. He then studies
it as an exceptional book, rather than as a common book written by
human beings. We find recurring in the Quran statements worded
more or less as follows, ‘O man, it is your Lord, who is addressing
you. Listen to His words and follow Him.’ Even this style of address
is quite exceptional. This kind of direct divine invocation is not
present in any other book. It leaves a lasting impression on man. He
feels his Lord is directly addressing him. This feeling compels man
to take the assertions of the Quran with extreme seriousness, rather
than treat them like everyday statements in an ordinary book. The
style of compilation of the Quran is also unique. Books written by
human beings usually have their material arranged in order from A
Introduction xiii
to Z, according to the topic. But the Quran does not follow a pattern
of this kind, so that to the common man it appears to be lacking in
order. When looked at in reality, however, it will emerge as an
extremely coherent and orderly book, and quite majestic in its style
of writing. While reading the Quran, we feel that its writer is on a
very high pedestal from where He is looking down and addressing
the whole of humanity, which is His special concern. This address
focuses on different groups of human beings, while encompassing
all of them.
One special aspect of the Quran is that at any moment its reader
can consult its Writer, put his questions and receive answers, for the
Writer of the Quran is God Himself. He is a living God. As man’s
Creator, He directly hears and answers man’s call.
A Peaceful Ideological Struggle
Those who are introduced to the Quran only through the media,
generally have the impression that the Quran is a book of jihad, and
jihad to them is an attempt to achieve one’s goal by means of
violence. But this idea is based on a misunderstanding. Anyone who
reads the Quran for himself will easily appreciate that its message
has nothing to do with violence. The Quran is, from beginning to
end, a book which promulgates peace and in no way countenances
violence. It is true that jihad is one of the teachings of the Quran.
But jihad, taken in its correct sense, is the name of peaceful struggle
rather than of any kind of violent action. The Quranic concept of
jihad is expressed in the following verse, ‘Do greater jihad (i.e
strive more strenuously) with the help of this [Quran]’ (25:52).
Obviously, the Quran is not a weapon, but a book which gives
xiv Introduction
us an introduction to the divine ideology of peaceful struggle. The
method of such a struggle, according to the Quran, is ‘to speak to
them a word to reach their very soul’ (4:63).
So, the desired approach, acccording to the Quran, is one which
moves man’s heart and mind. That is, in addressing people’s minds,
it satisfies them, convinces them of the veracity of the Quran and,
in short, brings about an intellectual revolution within them. This
is the mission of the Quran. And this mission can be performed only
by means of rational arguments. This target can never be achieved
by means of violence or armed action.
It is true that there are certain verses in the Quran, which convey
injunctions similar to the following, ‘Slay them wherever you find
them’ (2:191).
Referring to such verses, there are some who attempt to give the
impression that Islam is a religion of war and violence. This is
totally untrue. Such verses relate, in a restricted sense, to those who
have unilaterally attacked the Muslims. The above verse does not
convey the general command of Islam.
The truth of the matter is that the Quran was not revealed in the
complete form in which it exists today. It was revealed from time
to time, according to the circumstances, over a time span of 23
years. If this is divided into years of war and peace, the period of
peace amounts to 20 years, while that of state of war amounts only
to 3 years. The revelations during these 20 peaceful years were the
peaceful teachings of Islam as are conveyed in the verses regarding
the realization of God, worship, morality, justice, etc.
This division of commands into different categories is a natural one
and is found in all religious books. For instance, the Gita, the holy
book of the Hindus, pertains to wisdom and moral values. Yet along
Introduction xv
with this is the exhortation of Krishna to Arjuna, encouraging him
to fight (Bhagavad Gita, 3:30). This does not mean that believers in
the Gita should wage wars all the time. Mahatma Gandhi, after all,
derived his philosophy of non-violence from the same Gita. The
exhortation to wage war in the Gita applies only to exceptional cases
where circumstances leave no choice. But for general day-to-day
existence it gives the same peaceful commands as derived from it by
Mahatma Gandhi.
Similarly, Jesus Christ said, ‘Do not think that I came to bring
peace on Earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.’
(Matthew, 10:34).
It would not be right to conclude that the religion preached by
Christ was one of war and violence, for such utterances relate purely
to particular occasions. So far as general life is concerned, Christ
taught peaceful values, such as the building up of a good character,
loving each other, helping the poor and needy, etc.
The same is true of the Quran. When the Prophet Muhammad
emigrated from Makkah to Madinah, the idolatrous tribes were
aggressive towards him. But the Prophet always averted their
attacks by the exercise of patience and the strategy of avoidance.
However on certain occasions no other options existed, save that
of defence. Therefore, he had to do battle on certain occasions. It
was these circumstances, which occasioned those revelations
relating to war. These commands, being specific to certain
circumstances, had no general application. They were not meant to
be valid for all time to come. That is why; the permanent status of
the Prophet has been termed a ‘mercy for all mankind.’ (21:107)
Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The
Quran calls its way ‘the paths of peace’ (5:16). It describes
xvi Introduction
reconciliation as the best policy (4:128), and states that God
abhors any disturbance of the peace (2:205). We can say that it is
no exaggeration to say that Islam and violence are contradictory
to each other.
A Revealed Book
The Quran is a book of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
It did not come to him in the form of a complete book, but in parts
over a period of 23 years. The first part was revealed in 610 AD,
when the Prophet Muhammad was in Makkah. Subsequently,
different parts continued to be revealed regularly, the final part
being revealed in 632, when the Prophet was in Madinah.
There are 114 chapters in the Quran, both long and short. The
verses number about 6600. To meet the needs of recitation, the
Quran was divided into 30 parts. These parts were finally set in
order under the guidance of the Angel Gabriel, through whom God
had revealed the Quran.
When the Quran was revealed in the first quarter of the 7th
century, paper had already been invented. This paper, known as
papyrus, was made by hand from the fibres of certain trees.
Whenever any part of the Quran was revealed, it was written down
on papyrus, or in Arabic, qirtas (6:7). During this process, people
committed the verses to memory, the Quran being the only Islamic
literature which was recited in prayer, as well as being read out for
the purposes of da‘wah. In this way, the Quran continued to be
simultaneously memorized as well as written down. This method
of preservation continued during the lifetime of the Prophet
Muhammad. In this way, the Quran was preserved during the
lifetime of the Prophet.
Introduction xvii
xviii Introduction
The third caliph, ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, had several copies
prepared. He sent these to different cities, where they were kept in
the great mosques. People not only recited from these copies, but
also prepared more copies from them.
The writing of the Quran by hand continued till the printing press
was invented and paper began to be manufactured on a large scale,
thanks to the industrial revolution. Then, the Quran began to be
printed. Printing methods went on improving and so the printing of
the Quran also improved. Now printed copies of the Quran have
become so common that they can be found in every home, mosque,
library and bookstore. Today anyone can find a beautiful copy of
the Quran, wherever he might be, in any part of the globe.
How to Read the Quran?
The Quran says, ‘Recite the Quran slowly and distinctly.’ (73:4) This
means, read the Quran in slow, measured rhythmic tones. That is, read,
paying full attention to the import of the content. When read like this, a
two-way process between Quran and its reader comes into play. For him,
the Quran is an address or speech by God and his heart starts answering
this address at every verse. In the Quran where there is any mention of
God’s majesty, the reader’s entire existence is strongly affected by the
realisation of His greatness. When God’s blessings are enumerated in the
Quran, the reader’s heart overflows with gratitude; when God’s
retribution is described in the Quran, the reader trembles on reading it;
when an order is laid down in the Quran, the feeling becomes intensified
in the reader that he should become the obedient subject of his Lord by
carrying out that order.
Wahiduddin Khan, New Delhi, January 2009
C H R O N O L O G I C A L T A B L E
O F T H E Q U R A N
570 Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (the Prophet’s father
died a few months before his birth)
576 Death of the Prophet’s mother Aminah, when the
Prophet is six year old
578 Death of the Prophet’s grandfather, ‘Abdul Muttalib
595 The Prophet’s marriage to Khadijah
610 The Prophet receives the first revelation of the Quran
at Mount al-Nur near Makkah
613 First public preaching.
615 Migration of some of the companions of the Prophet
to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) to avoid persecution at the
hands of the Makkans
616-619 The Banu Hashim boycotts the Prophet and his family
619 Death of the Prophet’s wife Khadijah and uncle Abu
Talib
619 The Prophet visits Taif for support, but the people
there give him humiliating treatment.
620 The Prophet’s Night Journey to Jerusalem and then to
the Seven Heavens
622 The Prophet’s migration (hijrah) from Makkah to
Madinah, which marks the beginning of the Islamic
calendar
624 Battle of Badr: the pagan Makkans were defeated by
the Muslims
625 Battle of Uhud: the Muslims were defeated by the
pagan Makkans
628 The Peace Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. Ten year no-war
pact with pagan Makkans, allowing peaceful preaching
of Islam. As a result many came into the fold of Islam
630 No-war pact broken by the pagan Makkans. Makkah’s
surrender—the Prophet forgives the Makkans and
entire population enters the fold of Islam
631 ‘The Year of Embassies’—Islam accepted by Arabian
tribes. The Prophet enters into peace treaties with the
Christians and Jewish tribes
632 The Prophet’s Farewell Pilgrimage to Makkah
632 8th June. Death of the Prophet Muhammad at Madinah
633 Quran prepared in one volume by Caliph Abu Bakr
645 Caliph ‘Uthman has several copies of the Quran made
and distributed in neighbouring countries
1153 First Latin translation of the Quran
1543 First printed edition with preface by Martin Luther
1649 Alexander Ross translates the Quran into English from
French
1734 George Sale’s translation of the Quran
1930 Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall’s translation of the
Quran
1934 ‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali’s translation of the Quran
1980 Muhammad Asad’s translation of the Quran
xx Chronological Table of the Quran
Map of Arabian Peninsula showing places at the time of the
revelation of the Quran, 610-632.
N
S
EW
THE QURAN
1 . T H E O P E N I N G ( A L - F ATIHAH )
1 In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
2 All praise is due to God,
the Lord of the Universe;3 the Beneficent, the Merciful;4 Lord of the Day of
Judgement. 5 You alone we
worship, and to You alone we
turn for help. 6 Guide us to the
straight path: 7 the path of those
You have blessed; not of
those who have incurred Your
wrath, nor of those who have
gone astray.
2 . T H E H E I F E R (A L - B A Q A R A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Mim
2 This is the Book; there is no
doubt in it. It is a guide for those
who are mindful of God, 3 who
believe in the unseen, and are
steadfast in prayer, and spend
out of what We have provided
them with; 4 those who believe
in the revelation sent down to
you and in what was sent before
you, and firmly believe in the
life to come—5 they are the
people who are rightly following
their Lord and it is they who
shall be successful.
6 As for those who are bent on
denying the truth, it makes no
difference to them whether you
warn them or not, they will not
believe. 7 God has sealed their
hearts and their ears, and over
their eyes there is a covering.
They will have a terrible
punishment.8 There are some who say, ‘We
believe in God and the Last
Day,’ yet they are not believers.9 They seek to deceive God and
the believers, but they only
deceive themselves, though they
do not realize it. 10 In their hearts
is a disease, which God has
increased. They will have a
painful punishment, because they
have been lying. 11 When they
are told, ‘Do not cause corruption
in the land,’ they say, ‘We are
only promoters of peace,’ 12 but
it is they who are really causing
corruption, though they do not
realize it. 13 And when they are
told, ‘Believe as other people
have believed,’ they say, ‘Are we
to believe just as fools believe?’
Surely they are the fools, even
though they do not realize it.14 When they meet those who
believe, they say, ‘We believe.’
But when they are alone with
their evil leaders, they say, ‘We
are really with you; we were
only mocking.’ 15 God will
requite them for their mockery,
and draw them on, for a while, to
wander blindly in their insolence.16 Such are those who have taken
misguidance in exchange for
guidance; but their bargain does
not profit them, nor have they
found true guidance.17 They are like those who
kindled a fire, and when it lighted
up all around them, God took
away their sight and left them in
utter darkness, unable to see—18 deaf, dumb, and blind: they
will never return [to the right
path]. 19 Or their case is like that
of heavy rain pouring down from
the clouds, accompanied by
darkness, thunder and lightning;
they thrust their fingers in their
ears at the sound of thunderclaps
for fear of death. God thus
encompasses those who deny
the truth. 20 The lightning almost
takes away their sight: whenever
it flashes upon them, they walk
on, but as soon as darkness falls
around them, they stand still.
Indeed, if God pleased, He could
take away their hearing and their
sight: God has power over all
things.21 People, worship your Lord,
who created you and those before
you, so that you may become
righteous, 22 who made the earth
a bed, and the sky a canopy; and
it is He who sends down rain
from above for the growth of
every kind of fruit for your
sustenance. And do not
2:11 Al-Baqarah 2
knowingly set up rivals to God.23 If you are in doubt about the
revelation We have sent down to
Our servant, then produce a
single chapter like it, and call
upon your helpers besides God,
if you are truthful. 24 But if you
cannot do it, and you can never
do it, then guard yourselves
against the Fire whose fuel is
men and stones, prepared for
those who deny the truth. 25 Give
the good news to those who
believe and do good works, that
they will have Gardens through
which rivers flow: whenever they
are given fruit to eat they will
say, ‘This is what we were
provided with before,’ because
they were given similar things.
And there will be pure spouses
for them, and they will abide
there forever.26 God does not disdain to
give a parable about a gnat or a
smaller creature. The faithful
know that it is the truth from
their Lord, but those who deny
the truth ask, ‘What could God
mean by this parable?’ He lets
many go astray through it, and
guides many by it. But He makes
only the disobedient go astray:27 those who break God’s
covenant after they have pledged
to keep it, and sever whatever
God has ordered to be joined,
and spread corruption in the
land—it is they who are the
losers. 28 How can you disbelieve
in God when you were dead
[lifeless] and He gave you life?
He will let you die once more,
then bring you back to life again,
whereupon you will be returned
to Him. 29 It is He who created
everything on the earth for you:
then He turned towards heaven
and fashioned it into the seven
heavens. He has knowledge of
all things.30 When your Lord said to the
angels, ‘I am putting a successor
on earth,’ they said, ‘Will You
place someone there who will
cause corruption on it and shed
blood, while we glorify You with
Your praise and extol Your
holiness?’ [God] answered,
‘Surely, I know that which you
do not know.’31 He taught Adam all the
3 The Heifer 2:31
names, then He set them before
the angels and said, ‘Tell Me the
names of these, if what you say
be true.’ 32 They said, ‘Glory be
to You; we have no knowledge
except whatever You have taught
us. You are the All Knowing, the
All Wise.’ 33 Then He said, ‘O
Adam, tell them their names.’
When Adam had told them the
names, God said to the angels,
‘Did I not say to you: I know the
secrets of the heavens and of the
earth, and I know what you
reveal and what you conceal?’34 When We said to the angels,
‘Bow down before Adam,’ they
all bowed except for Iblis [Satan].
He refused and acted proudly
and became an unbeliever. 35 We
said, ‘O Adam! live with your
wife in Paradise and eat freely
from it anywhere you may wish.
Yet do not approach this tree lest
you become wrongdoers.’ 36 But
Satan caused them both to slip
through this and thus brought
about the loss of their former
state. We said, ‘Go down from
here as enemies to each other;
and on earth you shall have your
2:32 Al-Baqarah 4
abode and your livelihood for a
while!’ 37 Then Adam received
some words [of prayer] from his
Lord and He accepted his
repentance. He is the Forgiving
One, the Merciful. 38 We said,
‘Go down, all of you, from here:
then when guidance comes to
you from Me, anyone who
follows My guidance will have
no fear, nor will they grieve—39 those who deny and reject Our
signs shall be the inhabitants of
the Fire; therein shall they abide
forever.’40 Children of Israel, remember
the favours I have bestowed upon
you, and fulfil the covenant that
you made with Me. I shall fulfil
the covenant I made with you.
Fear Me alone. 41 And believe in
the message I have sent down
which fulfils that [predictions
about the last prophet in their
Scripture] which you already
possess and do not be foremost
among those who deny its truth.
Do not sell My revelations for a
paltry price; fear Me alone. 42 Do
not mix truth with falsehood, or
hide the truth when you know it.
43 Attend to your prayers, give
the zakat [prescribed alms] and
bow down with those who bow
down. 44 Do you admonish others
to do good and forget this
yourselves? Yet you read the Book.
Will you not then understand?45 Seek help with patience and
prayer; this is indeed an exacting
discipline, but not to the humble,46 who know for certain that they
will meet their Lord, and that
they will return to Him.47 Children of Israel, remember
My blessing which I have
bestowed on you, and how I
favoured you above all other
people. 48 Guard yourselves
against the Day on which no soul
shall in the least avail another,
when neither intercession nor
ransom shall be accepted from it
nor shall help be given to it.49 Remember when We delivered
you from Pharaoh’s people, who
subjected you to grievous
torment, slaying your sons and
sparing only your daughters—
surely in that there was a great
trial for you from your Lord—50 and when We divided the sea
5 The Heifer 2:57
for you and saved you and
drowned Pharaoh’s people, while
you looked on. 51 We appointed
for Moses forty nights [on Mount
Sinai], and in his absence you
took to worshipping the calf,
and thus became transgressors.52 Yet after that We pardoned
you, so that you might be grateful.53 Remember when We gave
Moses the Scripture, and the
criterion [to distinguish between
right and wrong], so that you
might be guided. 54 When Moses
said to his people, ‘O my people,
you have indeed wronged
yourselves by worshipping the
calf; turn in repentance to your
Creator and slay [the culprits]
among you. That course is best
for you in the sight of your
Maker.’ He relented towards you.
He is the Forgiving One, the
Merciful. 55 Remember when you
said, ‘Moses, we will not believe
in you until we see God with our
own eyes,’ a thunderbolt struck
you while you were looking on.56 Then We brought you back to
life after your death, so that you
might be grateful. 57 Then We
caused the clouds to provide
shade for you and sent down for
you manna and quails, saying,
‘Eat the good things We have
provided for you.’ Indeed, they
did not wrong Us, but they
wronged themselves.58 Remember when We said,
‘Enter this land and eat freely
wherever you will. Make your
way through the gates, bowing
down and saying, “God! Forgive
us our sins.” We shall forgive
you your sins and We shall give
abundance to those who do
good.’ 59 But the wrongdoers
changed the words to something
other than what they had been
told. So We sent down upon the
transgressors a punishment from
heaven, because they were
disobedient. 60 When Moses
prayed for water for his people,
We said to him, ‘Strike the rock
with your staff!’ And there
gushed out from it twelve
springs. Each tribe knew its
drinking-place. [We said], ‘Eat
and drink what God has provided
and do not act wrongfully in the
land, spreading corruption.’
2:58 Al-Baqarah 6
61 When you said, ‘Moses, we
cannot bear to eat only one kind
of food, so pray to your Lord to
bring forth for us some of the
earth’s produce, its herbs and
cucumbers, its garlic, lentils,
and onions.’ Moses said, ‘Would
you take a lesser thing in
exchange for what is better? Go
to some town and there you will
find all that you demand.’
Abasement and destitution were
stamped upon them, and they
incurred the wrath of God, for
having rejected His signs, and
they killed His prophets unjustly,
because they were rebels and
transgressors.62 The believers, the Jews, the
Christians, and the Sabaeans—
all those who believe in God and
the Last Day and do good
deeds—will be rewarded by their
Lord; they shall have no fear, nor
shall they grieve.63 [Children of Israel], We
made a covenant with you and
raised the mountain high above
you, saying, ‘Hold fast to what
We have given you and bear its
contents in mind, so that you
may guard yourselves [against
evil].’ 64 Yet after that you turned
away, and but for God’s grace
and mercy, you would have surely
been among the losers. 65 You
are aware of those who
transgressed in the matter of the
Sabbath, whereupon We said to
them, ‘Be as apes, despised!’66 We made their fate an example
to their own generation and to
those who followed them and a
lesson to those who fear God.67 When Moses said to his
people, ‘God commands you to
sacrifice a heifer,’ they said, ‘Are
you making a mockery of us?’
He answered, ‘God forbid that I
should be so ignorant!’ 68 They
said, ‘Ask your Lord to make it
clear to us what sort of heifer she
should be.’ He answered, ‘God
says she should be neither too
old nor too young, but in
between, so do as you are
commanded.’ 69 They said, ‘Call
on your Lord for us, to show us
what colour she should be.’ He
answered, ‘God says she should
be a bright yellow heifer, pleasing
to the eye.’ 70 They said, ‘Ask
7 The Heifer 2:75
your Lord to make it clear to us
the exact type of heifer she should
be, for to us all heifers look
alike. If God wills, we shall
be rightly guided.’ 71 Moses
answered, ‘Your Lord says, she
should be a heifer which has not
been yoked to plough the land or
water the fields, a heifer free
from any blemish.’ ‘Now you
have told us the truth,’ they
answered, and they sacrificed it,
though they would rather not
have done it. 72 Then, when you
[Israelites] killed someone and
started to blame one another—
God brought to light what you
concealed—73 We said, ‘Strike
[the corpse] with a part of it.’
Thus God restores the dead to
life and shows you His signs, so
that you may understand.74 Then your hearts became as
hard as rock or even harder: for,
there are rocks from which
streams gush forth; and, there
are some that cleave asunder and
water flows out from them, while
others fall down for fear of God.
God is not unaware of what you do.75 Do you then hope that they
will believe in you when some of
them have already heard the word
of God and then, after having
understood it, they knowingly
perverted it? 76 When they meet
the faithful, they say, ‘We are
believers.’ But when alone, they
say to each other, ‘Must you tell
them what God has revealed to
us? They will only use it to argue
against you before your Lord!
Have you no sense?’ 77 Do they
not know that God knows all
that they conceal and all that
they disclose?78 There are among them
unlettered people who have no
real knowledge of the Scriptures,
knowing only their own wishful
thinking and following only
conjecture. 79 Woe to those who
write the scripture with their
own hands, and then declare,
‘This is from God,’ in order to
sell it for a paltry price. Woe to
them because of what their own
hands have written, and woe to
them for what they have earned.80 They say, ‘The Fire is not
going to touch us, and [even if it
does], it will only be for a few
2:76 Al-Baqarah 8
days!’ Say [to them], ‘Have you
received a promise from God—
for God never breaks His
promise—or do you attribute
something to God which you do
not know?’ 81 Truly, those who
do evil and are encompassed by
their misdeeds, shall be the
inmates of the Fire. Therein they
shall abide forever, 82 but those
who believe and do good works
are the heirs of Paradise; there
they shall abide forever.83 Remember when We made a
covenant with the Children of
Israel, ‘Worship none but God
and be good to your parents and
to relatives and orphans and the
needy. And speak kindly to
people. Attend to your prayers
and pay the zakat [prescribed
alms].’ But with the exception of
a few, you turned away [in
aversion] and paid no heed.84 When We made a covenant
with you, We said, ‘You shall not
shed each other’s blood, nor turn
your people out of their homes.’
You consented to this and bore
witness. 85 Yet, here you are,
slaying one another and driving
some of your own people from
their homelands, aiding one
another against them, committing
sin and aggression; but if they
came to you as captives, you
would ransom them. Surely their
very expulsion was unlawful for
you. Do you believe in one part
of the Book and deny another
part of it? Those of you who act
thus shall be rewarded with
disgrace in this world and with a
severe punishment on the Day of
Resurrection. God is never
unaware of what you do. 86 Such
are they who buy the life of this
world at the price of the
Hereafter. Their punishment
shall not be lightened for them,
nor shall they be helped.87 To Moses We gave the
Book and sent a succession of
messengers after him. We gave
Jesus, son of Mary, clear signs
and strengthened him with the
Holy Spirit. But, whenever a
messenger came to you with
something which you did not
desire, you grew arrogant, calling
some liars and slaying others.88 They say, ‘Our hearts are
9 The Heifer 2:91
impenetrably wrapped [against
whatever you say],’ but God has
rejected them for their denial;
they have but little faith.89 And now that a Book
has come to them from God,
fulfilling that [predictions about
the final prophet in their
scriptures] which is with them,
they deny it—whereas previously
they used to pray for victory
against the disbelievers—yet
when there came to them that
which they recognized as the
truth, they rejected it. God’s
rejection is the due of all who
deny the truth. 90 What they have
sold their souls for is evil: to the
denial of God’s own revelation,
grudging that He should reveal
His bounty to whom He chooses
from among His servants! They
have incurred wrath upon wrath.
Humiliating punishment awaits
those who deny the truth.91 When they are told, ‘Believe
in what God has revealed,’ they
say, ‘We believe in what was
revealed to us,’ while they deny
the truth in what has been sent
down after that, even though it is
the Truth, confirming that which
they already have. Say, ‘Why did
you kill God’s prophets in the
past, if you were true believers?92 Moses came to you with clear
signs, but in his absence you
worshipped the calf and became
wrongdoers.’ 93 When We made
a covenant with you and raised
the mountain above you saying,
‘Hold firmly to what We have
given you and listen,’ you said,
‘We hear, but we disobey,’ and
their hearts were filled with the
love of the calf, because of their
refusal to acknowledge the truth.
Say, ‘Evil is that to which your
faith enjoins you if you are indeed
believers.’ 94 Say, ‘If God’s abode
of the Hereafter is for you alone,
to the exclusion of all others,
then wish for death, if you are
truthful.’ 95 But they will never
wish for death, because of what
their own hands have sent on
before them; God is fully aware
of the wrongdoers. 96 You will
find them clinging to life more
eagerly than any other people,
even the polytheists. Any of them
would wish to be given a life of
2:92 Al-Baqarah 10
a thousand years, though even
such a long life would not save
them from [Our] punishment;
and God sees all that they do.97 Say, ‘Anyone who is an
enemy of Gabriel—who by
God’s leave has brought down to
your heart [the Quran] fulfilling
that [predictions about the last
prophet in the earlier revelations]
which precedes it, and is a
guidance and good news for the
faithful—98 whoever is an enemy
of God, His angels, or His
messengers, or of Gabriel or
Michael, will surely find that
God too is the enemy of those
who deny the truth.’ 99 We have
sent down clear signs to you and
no one will reject them except
the wicked. 100 Why is it that,
whenever they make a covenant,
some of them cast it aside?
Most of them do not believe.101 Whenever a messenger from
God has come to them, fulfilling
that [predictions] which they
already had, some of those to
whom the Book was given have cast
off the Book of God behind their
backs as if they had no knowledge.
102 They pursued what the
devils falsely attributed to the
kingdom of Solomon. Solomon
was not an unbeliever: it is the
devils who are unbelievers. They
taught people witchcraft, and
that which was sent down to
Harut and Marut, the two angels
in Babylon. But these two taught
no one until they had said, ‘We
are but a trial, therefore, do not
disbelieve [in God’s guidance].’
So men learnt from them that by
which they caused discord
between man and wife; but they
harmed no one thereby, except
by the command of God; [on the
contrary], these people learned
that which would harm them and
do them no good, knowing full
well that whoever acquired [this
knowledge] would have no share
in the Hereafter. Evil indeed was
the [price] for which they sold
their souls, if only they had
known it. 103 And had they but
believed and been mindful of
God, His reward would have been
far better for them, if they had but
known it.104 Believers, do not say to
11 The Heifer 2:107
the Prophet, ‘Ra‘ina’ but say,
‘Unzurna,’ and listen to him
with attention.a For those who
deny the truth, there is a painful
punishment. 105 They who deny
the truth from among the People
of the Book, or from among
those who associate partners with
God, do not desire that any good
should be sent down to you from
your Lord. But God singles out
for His grace whom He wills—
for God is limitless in His great
bounty. 106 If We abrogate a verse
or cause it to be forgotten, We
will replace it by a better one or
one similar to it. Do you not
know that God has power over
all things? 107 Do you not know
that the kingdom of the heavens
and the earth belongs to God
alone? And that there is no
protector or helper for you
a Some people would sit in the
Prophet’s company and, by playing on
words, make a mockery of his
teachings. For instance, instead of
using the unambiguous Arabic word
for ‘May we have your attention’—
‘unzurna’—they would say ‘ra‘ina’,
meaning ‘our shepherd’.
besides God? 108 Do you [all]
want to question your messenger
just as Moses was questioned
previously? Anyone who
exchanges faith for unbelief has
strayed from the right path.109 Many among the People of
the Book wish, through envy, to
lead you back to unbelief, now
that you have embraced the faith
and the truth has been made
plain to them. But you should
pardon them and bear with them
until God gives His command.
Truly, God has power over all
things. 110 Attend to your prayers
and pay the prescribed alms; any
good you store up for yourselves,
you will find it with God.
Certainly, God sees what you do.111 They declare, ‘None shall ever
enter Heaven unless he be a Jew
or a Christian.’ This is their own
wishful thinking. [Prophet], say,
‘Produce your evidence if you
are telling the truth.’ 112 Indeed,
those who submit themselves to
God and act righteously shall be
rewarded by their Lord: they shall
have no fear, nor shall they grieve.113 The Jews say, ‘The
2:108 Al-Baqarah 12
Christians have no ground to
stand on,’ and the Christians say,
‘The Jews have no ground to
stand on.’ Yet they both recite
the Book, and those who have
no knowledge say the same; God
will judge between them on the
Day of Resurrection concerning
their disputes. 114 Who could be
more wicked than someone who
prevents God’s name from being
mentioned in His places of
worship, and seeks to bring about
their ruin, while it behoves these
men to enter them with fear in
their hearts? There is disgrace in
store for them in this world and
a great punishment in the next.115 The East and the West belong
to God. Whichever way you turn,
there is the Face of God. God is
all pervading and all knowing.116 They say, ‘God has taken
a son.’ Glory be to Him!
Everything in the heavens and
the earth belongs to Him; all
things are obedient to Him. 117 He
is the Originator of the heavens
and the earth, and when He
decrees something, He says only,
‘Be!’ and it is.
118 Those who are devoid of
knowledge say, ‘Why does God
not speak to us or show us a
sign?’ The same demand was
made by those before them; their
hearts are all alike. We have
made the signs clear to those
whose faith is firm. 119 We have
sent you with the truth, bearing
good news and giving warning.
You will not be held accountable
for the people of the Fire.120 Neither the Christians nor the
Jews will be pleased with you
until you follow their ways. Say,
‘God’s guidance is the only true
guidance.’ If you followed their
desires after the knowledge
which has come to you, you
would not have any patron or
supporter against God. 121 Those
whom We have given this Book
follow it as it ought to be
followed; it is they who [truly]
believe in it; those who deny it
will be the losers.122 Children of Israel,
remember My favour which I
have bestowed upon you, and
how I preferred you above all
other people; 123 and fear a Day
13 The Heifer 2:126
when no human being shall avail
another. Nor shall ransom be
accepted from any of them, nor
shall intercession be of any use
to them, and none shall be
succoured. 124 When his Lord
tested Abraham with certain
commands and he fulfilled them,
He said, ‘I will make you a
leader of men.’ Abraham asked,
‘And what of my descendants?’
He answered, ‘My covenant does
not extend to the transgressors.’125 And We made the House
[the Ka‘bah] a place of assembly
and a sanctuary for mankind,
[saying], ‘Make the place where
Abraham stood a place of
worship.’ We commanded
Abraham and Ishmael, ‘Purify
My House for those who walk
round it, those who stay there for
devotion, and those who bow
down and prostrate themselves.’126 And when Abraham prayed,
‘My Lord, make this city a city
of peace, and provide its
inhabitants with fruits, such of
them as believe in God and the
Last Day.’ God said, ‘As for
those who deny the truth, I will
grant them benefits for a short
while and then subject them to
the punishment of the Fire—an
evil destination.’127 And when Abraham and
Ishmael were laying the
foundations of the House, [they
prayed], ‘Our Lord, accept this
from us; for You are All Hearing,
All Knowing. 128 Lord, make us
submissive to You; make of our
descendants a nation that will
submit to You. Teach us our rites
of worship and turn to us with
mercy; You are the Forgiving
One and the Merciful. 129 Our
Lord, send forth to them a
messenger of their own to recite
Your revelations to them, to teach
them the Scripture and wisdom,
and purify them. You are the
Mighty, the Wise One.’130 Who but a foolish man
would turn away from the
religion of Abraham? We chose
him in this world, and in the
Hereafter he shall be among the
righteous. 131 When his Lord said
to him, ‘Surrender!’ he
responded, ‘I have surrendered
to the Lord of the Universe,’
2:127 Al-Baqarah 14
132 and Abraham enjoined his
sons to do the same, as did
Jacob, ‘My sons, God has chosen
this religion for you; so do not
let death overtake you, except
when you are in a state of
submission.’ 133 Were you present
when Jacob faced the hour of
death and he asked his sons,
‘Who will you worship after
me?’ They answered, ‘We will
worship your God and the God
of your fathers, Abraham and
Ishmael and Isaac: the one God;
we have submitted ourselves to
Him.’ 134 Those were a people
that have passed away; what
they did is theirs and what you
have done is yours. You will not
be answerable for their deeds.135 They say, ‘Be Jews or
Christians, and you shall be
rightly guided.’ Say, ‘By no
means! We believe in the faith of
Abraham, who was ever inclined
[to God]; he was not one of
those who set up partners with
God.’ 136 Say, ‘We believe in
God and what was revealed to
us; and what was revealed to
Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob,
and their descendants, and what
was given to Moses and Jesus
and what was given to the [other]
prophets by their Lord. We make
no distinction between any of
them. It is to Him that we
surrender ourselves.’ 137 If they
believe as you have believed,
then are they rightly guided; but
if they turn back, then know that
they are entrenched in hostility.
God will surely suffice to defend
you against them, for He is All
Hearing, All Knowing. 138 We
take on God’s own dye. Who has
a better dye than God’s? We
worship Him alone. 139 Say, ‘Do
you dispute with us about God,
while He is our Lord and your
Lord? We have our actions and
you have your actions. We are
devoted to Him alone. 140 Do
you claim that Abraham and
Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and
their descendants were all Jews
or Christians?’ Say, ‘Do you
know better or does God? And
who could be more unjust than
one who conceals a testimony
given to him by God? God is not
unaware of what you do.’
15 The Heifer 2:144
141 Those were a people that have
passed away; theirs is what they
did and yours what you
have done. You shall not be
answerable for their deeds.142 The foolish will ask, ‘What
has made them turn away from
their direction of prayer which
they used to face?’ Say, ‘The
East and the West belong to
God. He guides whom He pleases
to the right path.’ 143 Thus We
have made you a middle nation,
so that you may act as witnesses
for mankind, and the Messenger
may be a witness for you. We
decreed your former prayer
direction towards which you used
to face only in order that We
might make a clear distinction
between the Messenger’s true
followers and those who were to
turn their backs on him. This
was indeed a hard test for all but
those whom God has guided.
God will never let your faith go
to waste. God is compassionate
and merciful to mankind.144 We have frequently seen
you turn your face towards
heaven. So We will make you
turn in a direction for prayer that
will please you. So turn your
face now towards the Sacred
Mosque: and wherever you may
be, turn your faces towards it.
Those who were given the Book
know this to be the truth from
their Lord. God is not unaware
of what they do. 145 But even if
you should produce every kind
of sign for those who have been
given the Book, they would never
accept your prayer direction, nor
would you accept their prayer
direction: nor would any of them
accept one another’s direction.
If, after all the knowledge you
have been given, you yield to
their desires, then, you shall
surely become a transgressor.146 Those to whom We have given
the Book recognize it just as they
recognize their own sons. But,
some of them knowingly conceal
the truth. 147 Truth is what comes
from your Lord; therefore, do
not be of those who doubt.148 Each community has its
own direction in which it turns:
vie, then, with one another in
doing good works. Wherever you
2:145 Al-Baqarah 16
may be, God will bring you all
before Him. God has power over
all things. 149 Wherever you set
out from, turn your face in
the direction of the Sacred
Mosque—this is the truth from
your Lord: He is not unaware of
what you do—150 wherever you
come from, turn your face to the
Sacred Mosque; wherever you
may be, turn your faces towards
it, so that people will not have
any argument against you except
for the wrongdoers among them.
Do not fear them; fear Me, so
that I may perfect My favour to
you and you may be rightly
guided. 151 Thus We have sent
among you a Messenger of your
own to recite Our revelations to
you, purify you and teach you
the Book and wisdom, and to
teach you what you did not know.152 So remember Me; I will
remember you. Be thankful to
Me and do not be ungrateful.153 You who believe, seek help
through patience and prayer;
surely, God is with the steadfast.154 Do not say that those who are
killed in God’s cause are dead;
they are alive, but you are not
aware of it. 155 We shall certainly
test you with fear and hunger,
and loss of property, lives and
crops. Give good news to those
who endure with fortitude.156 Those who say, when afflicted
with a calamity, ‘We belong to
God and to Him we shall return,’157 are the ones who will have
blessings and mercy from their
Lord: it is they who are on the
right path!158 Safa and Marwah are
among the symbols set up by
God; there is nothing wrong if
anyone goes on a pilgrimage to
the House, or performs a minor
pilgrimage, in walking to and fro
between them. Of anyone who
does good of his own accord,
God is appreciative, and aware.159 Those who conceal the
evidence of the truth and the
guidance We have revealed, after
We have made them clear to
people in the Scripture, will be
rejected by God and so do others.160 But from those who repent
and mend their ways and make
known the truth, I will certainly
17 The Heifer 2:165
accept their repentance: I am
the Ever Relenting, the Most
Merciful. 161 Those who deny
the truth, and die as deniers, on
them shall be the curse of God
and of angels and of men
altogether. 162 Under it they shall
remain forever; their punishment
shall not be lightened, nor shall
they be granted respite.163 Your God is one God. There
is no deity save Him. He is the
Compassionate, the Merciful.164 In the creation of the heavens
and the earth; in the alternation
of night and day; in the ships that
sail the ocean bearing cargoes
beneficial to man; in the water
which God sends down from the
sky and with which He revives
the earth after its death, scattering
over it all kinds of animals; in
the courses of the winds, and in
the clouds pressed into service
between earth and sky, there are
indeed signs for people who use
their reason.165 Yet there are some who set
up equals with God and adore
them with the adoration due to
God, but those who believe love
God most. If only the wrongdoers
could see—as they will see when
they face the punishment—that
all power belongs to God, and
that God is severe in punishment.166 When they face their
punishment, those who have
been followed will disown their
followers, and all their ties shall
be cut asunder, 167 those who
followed will say, ‘If we could
only return to the world, we
would disown them as they have
disowned us.’ God will thus show
them their actions as a cause of
bitter regret and remorse. They
shall never emerge from the Fire.168 O mankind, eat whatever is
lawful and wholesome on the
earth; and do not follow in the
footsteps of Satan; for he is
indeed your avowed enemy.169 He bids you only to do evil
and to commit deeds of
abomination and to attribute to
God something of which you
have no knowledge. 170 But when
they are told, ‘Follow what God
has sent down,’ they answer,
‘We will follow the ways of our
fathers,’ even though their fathers
2:166 Al-Baqarah 18
did not use their reason, and
were devoid of all guidance.171 Those who deny the truth are
like animals which hear nothing
in your call but the sound of a
voice, without understanding its
meaning. They are deaf, dumb
and blind. They understand
nothing.172 Believers, eat the
wholesome things which We
have provided for you and give
thanks to God, if it is Him you
worship. 173 He has forbidden
you only carrion, blood, and the
flesh of swine; also any flesh
that is consecrated other than in
the name of God. But for one
who is driven by necessity,
neither craving nor transgressing,
it is no sin. For God is forgiving
and merciful. 174 Those who
conceal any part of the Scriptures
which God has revealed in order
to gain some paltry end, simply
fill their bellies with Fire. On the
Day of Resurrection, God will
neither speak to them nor purify
them. They will have a painful
punishment. 175 Those are the
ones who have taken error in
exchange for guidance and
punishment for forgiveness. How
little do they seem to fear the
Fire! 176 That is because God has
sent down the Book with the
truth. And those who pursue
differences in the Scriptures go
much too far in dissension.177 Virtue does not consist in
whether you face towards the
East or the West; virtue means
believing in God, the Last Day,
the angels, the Book and the
prophets; the virtuous are those
who, despite their love for it,
give away their wealth to their
relatives and to orphans and the
very poor, and to travellers and
those who ask [for charity], and
to set slaves free, and who attend
to their prayers and pay the alms,
and who keep their pledges when
they make them, and show
patience in hardship and
adversity, and in times of distress.
Such are the true believers; and
such are the God-fearing.178 Believers, retribution is
prescribed for you in cases of
murder: the free man for the free
man, the slave for the slave, the
19 The Heifer 2:182
female for the female. If the
offender is granted some
remission by the heir of the slain
person, the agreed penalty should
be equitably exacted and should
be discharged in a handsome
manner. This is an alleviation
from your Lord and an act of
grace. He who transgresses after
this shall have a painful
punishment. 179 In [this law of]
retribution there is life for you,
O people of understanding, so
that perhaps you will be mindful
of God. 180 It is prescribed that
when death approaches any of
you and he is leaving behind
wealth, he shall make a will in
favour of his parents and relatives
equitably. This is a duty for all
who fear God. 181 Anyone who
alters it once he has heard it shall
be accountable for his crime.
Surely, God is all hearing and all
knowing. 182 But if anyone
apprehends partiality or an
injustice on the part of a testator,
it shall be no sin for him to bring
about a settlement between the
parties. God is forgiving and
merciful.
183 Believers, fasting has been
prescribed for you, just as it was
prescribed for those before you,
so that you may guard yourselves
against evil. 184 Fast for a
specified number of days, but if
any one among you is ill or on a
journey, let him fast the same
number of days later. For those
who can fast only with extreme
difficulty, there is a way to
compensate—the feeding of a
needy person. But he who does
good of his own accord shall be
well rewarded; but to fast is
better for you, if you only knew.185 The month of Ramadan is the
month when the Quran was sent
down as guidance for mankind
with clear proofs of guidance
and the criterion by which to
distinguish right from wrong.
Therefore, whoever of you is
present in that month, let him
fast; but he who is ill or on a
journey shall fast a similar
number of days later on. God
desires ease for you, not hardship.
He desires you to fast the whole
month, so that you may glorify
Him for His having guided you
2:183 Al-Baqarah 20
and so that you may be grateful
to Him.186 When My servants ask you
about Me, say that I am near. I
respond to the call of one who
calls, whenever he calls to Me:
let them, then, respond to Me,
and believe in Me, so that they
may be rightly guided. 187 It has
been made lawful for you to go
to your wives on the night of the
fast: they are like a garment for
you, and you are like a garment
for them. God is aware that you
were deceiving yourselves and
He has turned in mercy towards
you and pardoned you. So you
may now consort with them and
seek what God has ordained for
you. Eat and drink until the
white thread of dawn becomes
distinct from the black. Then
resume the fast until nightfall,
and do not approach them during
the nights of your devotional
retreat in the mosques. These are
the limits set by God, so do not
approach them. Thus He makes
clear His commandments to
mankind, so that they may guard
themselves [against evil]. 188 Do
not consume one another’s
property by unjust means,
nor offer it as a bribe to the
authorities, so that you may
deliberately and wrongfully
devour a part of other people’s
wealth.189 They ask you about the
phases of the moon. Say, ‘They
are a means of determining time
for the regulation of people’s
affairs and for the pilgrimage.’
Piety does not consist in entering
your houses from the rear. Indeed,
one who guards himself against
evil out of fear of God is the
truly righteous one. Enter your
houses by their doors and be
mindful of God, so that you may
prosper. 190 And fight in God’s
cause against those who wage
war against you, but do not
commit aggression—for surely,
God does not love aggressors.191 Slay them wherever you find
them [those who fight against
you];a drive them out of the
places from which they drove
you, for [religious] persecution
is worse than killing. Do not
fight them at the Sacred Mosque
21 The Heifer 2:196
unless they fight you there. If
they do fight you, slay them—
such is the reward for those who
deny the truth—192 but if they
desist, then surely God is most
forgiving and merciful. 193 Fight
them until there is no more fitna
[religious persecution] and
religion belongs to God alone. If
they desist, then let there be
no hostility, except towards
aggressors.194 A sacred month for a sacred
month: violation of sanctity calls
for fair retribution. Thus you
may exact retribution from
whoever transgresses against
you, in proportion to his
transgression. Fear God and
know that God is with those who
are mindful of Him. 195 Spend
for God’s cause: do not cast
yourselves into destruction by
your own hands. Do good, God
loves the doers of good.196 Perform the Hajj and the
minor pilgrimage [umrah] for
the sake of God. If you are
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
prevented from doing so, then
make whatever offering you can
afford and do not shave your
heads until the offering has
reached the place of sacrifice.
But if any of you is ill, or has an
ailment of the head, he should
compensate by fasting or
almsgiving or sacrifice. In times
of peace, if any of you combines
the minor pilgrimage with the
Hajj, he should make whatever
offering he can afford, but if he
lacks the means, then let him fast
three days during the pilgrimage
and for seven days after his
return; that is, ten days in all.
That is incumbent upon anyone
whose family does not live near
the Sacred Mosque. Fear God
and know that God is severe in
punishment. 197 The pilgrimage
is in the appointed months.
Whoever intends to perform it
during them must abstain from
indecent speech, from all wicked
conduct, and from quarrelling
while on the pilgrimage.
Whatever good you may do, God
is aware of it. Make provision
for yourselves—but surely, the
2:197 Al-Baqarah 22
best of all provision is God-
consciousness. Always be
mindful of Me, you that are
endowed with understanding.198 You will be committing no
sin if [during the pilgrimage]
you seek to obtain any bounty
from your Lord. When you return
from Arafat, remember God at
the sacred place, and remember
Him as He has guided you.
Before this you were surely
astray. 199 Then press on from
where the pilgrims stream forth
and ask God’s forgiveness. God
is ever forgiving and most
merciful. 200 When you have
performed the acts of worship
prescribed for you, celebrate the
praises of God as you celebrated
the praises of your fathers, or
even more fervently than that.
There are some who say, ‘Our
Lord, give us abundance in this
world.’ These shall have no share
in the world to come. 201 But
there are others who pray, ‘Our
Lord, grant us good in this world
as well as good in the world to
come, and protect us from the
torment of the Fire.’ 202 They
shall have a good share from
what they have earned. God
is swift in His reckoning.203 Remember God during the
appointed days; for one who
hastens to leave in two days, it
shall be no sin; and for one who
stays on, it shall be no sin for
him either. This is for one who
fears God. Have fear of God,
and know that you shall all be
gathered before Him.204 There are some men whose
views on the affairs of this life
may please you. They even call
on God to witness whatever is in
their heart, yet they are the most
contentious of quarrellers.205 When he turns away, he sets
out to spread corruption in the
land, destroying crops and cattle.
God does not love corruption.206 When he is told, ‘Have fear
of God,’ he is seized by pride
which drives him to wrongdoing.
Hell shall be enough for him. A
dreadful resting place. 207 But
there are others who would
dedicate themselves to seeking
the pleasure of God. God is
compassionate to His servants.
23 The Heifer 2:213
208 Believers, surrender
yourselves totally to God, and
do not follow in the footsteps of
Satan; surely, he is your sworn
enemy. 209 But if you lapse after
the clear signs that have come to
you, then know that God is
mighty and wise. 210 Are they
only waiting for God as well as
the angels to come down to them
under canopies of clouds, so that
the matter will be settled? All
things return to God. 211 Ask the
Children of Israel how many
clear signs We have given them.
Anyone who changes God’s
blessing once it has come to him
will find God is stern in
punishment. 212 The life of this
world is made to appear attractive
for those who deny the truth and
they scoff at those who believe.
But those who fear God shall be
above them on the Day of
Resurrection: God bestows His
bounties on whoever He pleases
without stinting.213 Mankind was once a single
community, [but then people
developed differences], so God
sent prophets to them as bearers
of good tidings and warning,
and sent down with them the
Book containing the truth, so
that He might judge between
their disputes. It was only those
to whom it [the scripture] was
given who disagreed about it
after clear signs had come to
them, because of rivalry between
them. God by His will guided
the believers to the truth about
which the others had disputed.
God guides whom He will to a
straight path. 214 Do you think
that you will enter Paradise
without having suffered like
those who passed away before
you? Affliction and hardship
befell them and so shaken were
they that the Messenger and the
believers with him would
exclaim, ‘When will God’s help
come?’ Surely the help of God
is near.215 They will ask you what
they should spend on others.
Say, ‘Whatever you give should
be for parents, close relatives,
orphans, the needy, and
travellers. God is well aware of
whatever good you do.’
2:214 Al-Baqarah 24
216 Fighting [in defence] is
ordained for you, abhorrent as it
may be to you. You may dislike
something although it is good
for you, or like something
although it is bad for you: God
knows but you do not.217 They ask you about fighting
in the sacred month. Say, ‘To
fight [in a sacred month] is a
grave matter; but barring people
from the path of God, to deny
Him, and expelling people from
the Sacred Mosque are far graver
in His sight; and persecution is
worse than killing.’ They will
not stop fighting you until they
make you renounce your faith, if
they can. Whoever of you turns
back from his faith and dies as a
denier of the truth will have his
deeds come to nothing in this
world and the Hereafter, and he
will be an inhabitant of the Fire,
to abide therein forever. 218 But
those who have believed,
migrated, and striven for God’s
cause, can look forward to God’s
mercy: God is forgiving and
merciful.219 They ask you [Prophet]
about intoxicants and gambling.
Say, ‘There is great sin in both,
although they have some benefit
for people: but their harm is
greater than their benefit.’ They
ask you what they should spend
[in God’s cause]. Say, ‘Whatever
is surplus to your needs.’ Thus
God makes His commandments
clear to you so that you may
reflect 220 upon this world and
the Hereafter. They ask you about
orphans. Say, ‘Promotion of their
welfare is an act of great
goodness. There is no harm in
your living together with them,
for they are your brothers. God
knows the mischief-maker from
the reformer. If God had so
willed, He would have afflicted
you with hardship. Surely, God
is mighty and wise.’221 Do not marry women who
associate partners with God until
they believe. A believing
bondwoman is better than a
woman who associates partners
with God, however pleasing she
may appear to you. Nor give
believing women in marriage to
men who associate partners with
25 The Heifer 2:224
God, till they have believed; abelieving bondman is certainlybetter than a man who associatespartners with God, even though
he may please you. Such peoplecall you to Hell-fire; but Godcalls you to Paradise and toforgiveness. He makes Hismessages clear to people, so thatthey might bear them in
mind. 222 They ask you aboutmenstruation. Say, ‘It is animpurity, so keep away fromwomen during it and do notapproach them until they arecleansed; when they are cleansedyou may approach them as God
has ordained. God loves thosewho turn to Him in penitence andHe loves those who keepthemselves clean. 223 Your wivesare your fields. Go, then, intoyour fields as you will. Send
ahead [some good] for yourselves,and fear God, and know that youshall meet Him.’ Give goodtidings to the believers.
224 Do not make God a pretext,when you swear by Him, to
avoid doing good, beingrighteous and making peace
between people. God is all
hearing and all knowing. 225 God
will not call you to account for
any oaths you uttered
unintentionally, but He will take
you to task for what is intended
in your hearts. God is most
forgiving and forbearing. 226 For
those who swear that they will
not approach their wives, there
shall be a waiting period of four
months: if they revert to
conciliation, surely, God is most
forgiving and ever merciful;227 but if they decide upon
divorce, God is all hearing and
all knowing. 228 Divorced women
should wait for three menstrual
cycles; it is unlawful for them, if
they believe in God and the Last
Day, to hide what God has created
in their wombs. Their husbands
have the right to take them back
within that time, if they desire to
be reconciled. The wives have
rights corresponding to those
which the husbands have,
according to what is recognized
to be fair, but men have a rank
above them. God is almighty
and all wise.229 Divorce may be pronounced
2:225 Al-Baqarah 26
twice, and then a woman must
be retained honourably or
released with kindness. It is not
lawful for you to take away
anything of what you have given
your wives, unless both fear that
they would not be able to observe
the bounds set by God. In such a
case it shall be no sin for either
of them if the woman opts to
give something for her release.
These are the bounds set by God;
do not transgress them. Those
who transgress the bounds of
God are wrongdoers. 230 And if
man finally divorces his wife, he
cannot remarry her until she has
married another man. Then if the
next husband divorces her, there
will be no blame on either of
them if the former husband and
wife return to one another,
provided they think that they can
keep within the bounds set by
God. These are the bounds
prescribed by God, which
He makes clear to men of
understanding. 231 Once you
divorce women, and they have
reached the end of their waiting
period, then either retain them in
all decency or part from them
decently. Do not retain them in
order to harm them or to wrong
them. Whoever does this, wrongs
his own soul. Do not make a
mockery of God’s revelations.
Remember the favours God has
bestowed upon you, and the Book
and the wisdom He has revealed
to exhort you. Fear God and know
that God is aware of everything.232 When you divorce women
and they reach the end of their
waiting period, do not prevent
them from marrying other men,
if they have come to an
honourable agreement. This is
enjoined on every one of you
who believes in God and the
Last Day; it is more wholesome
and purer for you. God knows,
but you do not know. 233 And the
[divorced] mothers should nurse
their children for two whole
years, if they wish to complete
the period of nursing; and during
that period the father of the child
shall be responsible for the
maintenance of the mother in a
reasonable manner. No soul is
charged with more than it can
27 The Heifer 2:235
bear. No mother should be made
to suffer on account of her child,
and no father should be made to
suffer on account of his child.
The same duties devolve upon
the father’s heir [in case of the
death of the father]. But if, after
consultation, they choose by
mutual agreement to wean the
child, there shall be no blame on
them. Nor shall it be any offence
for you if you desire to engage a
wet-nurse for your children,
provided you hand over what
you have agreed to pay, in a
reasonable manner. Have fear of
God and know that God is
observant of all your actions.234 If any of you die and leave
widows, the widows should wait
for four months and ten days.
When they have reached the end
of their waiting period you will
not be blamed for what they may
reasonably choose to do with
themselves: God is aware of
what you do. 235 It shall be no
offence for you to hint at a
proposal of marriage [to divorced
or widowed women] or to cherish
them in your hearts. God knows
that you will bear them in mind.
But do not enter into any secret
arrangement with them, beyond
conveying some indication to
them of your inclination. Do not
proceed with tying the marriage-
knot before the end of their
waiting period. Know that God
has knowledge of all your
thoughts. Therefore, take heed
and bear in mind that God is
forgiving and forbearing. 236 You
will not be blamed [for not paying
the dower money] if you divorce
women when you have not yet
consummated the marriage or
fixed a dower money upon them,
but make fair provision for them,
the affluent according to his
means and the straitened
according to his means; this is
binding on righteous men. 237 If
you divorce them before the
marriage is consummated, but
after their dower money has been
settled, give them the half of
their dower money, unless they
[the women] agree to forego it,
or the man [the husband] in
whose hand lies the marriage
knot foregoes it. To forego is
2:236 Al-Baqarah 28
nearer to righteousness. Do not
neglect any chance of behaving
benevolently towards each other.
God is observant of whatever
you do.238 Be ever mindful of prayers,
especially the middle prayer; and
stand up before God in
submissive devotion. 239 When
you are exposed to danger, pray
on foot or while riding; when
you are safe again, remember
God, for He has taught you what
you did not know. 240 If any of
you die and leave widows, make
a bequest for them of a year’s
maintenance without causing
them to leave their homes; but if
they leave of their own accord,
you will not be blamed for what
they may reasonably choose to
do with themselves. God is
almighty and wise. 241 For
divorced women a provision
according to what is fair shall
also be made. This is an
obligation binding on the
righteous. 242 Thus God makes
His commandments clear to you,
so that you may understand.243 Have you not seen those
who fled their homes in their
thousands for fear of death,
whereupon God said to them,
‘Die!’ and later brought them
back to life? Surely God is
bountiful to mankind, but most
of them are ungrateful. 244 Fight
[in defence] in God’s cause and
remember that He is all hearing
and all knowing. 245 Who will
give God a generous loan? He
will multiply it many times over.
It is God who withholds, and
God who gives abundantly, and
it is to Him that you shall all be
returned.246 Have you not heard of what
the chiefs of the Children of
Israel demanded of one of their
prophets after Moses? They said,
‘Appoint for us a king, and we
will fight for the cause of God.’
He replied, ‘What if you refuse
to fight, when ordered to do so?’
‘Why should we not fight for the
cause of God,’ they replied,
‘when we have been driven forth
from our homes and our
children?’ But when at last they
were commanded to fight, they
all refused, except a few of them.
29 The Heifer 2:249
God knows the wrongdoers.247 Their prophet said to them,
‘God has now appointed Talut to
be your king.’ But they replied,
‘How can he be king over us
when we are worthier of kingship
than he and he has not even been
granted an abundance of wealth?’
He said, ‘God has chosen him
over you, and has given him
great knowledge and physique.
God grants kingship to whoever
He pleases: God is magnanimous
and all knowing.’ 248 Their
prophet also said to them, ‘The
sign of his kingship is that the
Ark [of the Covenant] shall come
to you. Therein shall be
tranquillity from your Lord, and
the relics which the House of
Moses and the House of Aaron
left behind. It will be borne by
the angels. There is a sign in this
for you, if you believe.’249 When Talut set out with his
forces, he said to them, ‘God
will test you with a river: whoever
drinks from it is not with me and
whoever does not drink is with
me. There will, however, be no
blame upon one who sips only a
handful from it.’ But, except for
a few of them, they all drank
from it. When he and those who
believed along with him had
crossed the river, they said, ‘We
have no strength today against
Goliath and his warriors.’ But
those of them who believed that
they would meet God replied,
‘Many a small group, by God’s
command has prevailed against
a large group. God is indeed
with the steadfast.’ 250 When they
met Goliath and his warriors,
they said, ‘Our Lord, bestow
patience upon us, make us stand
firm, and help us against those
who deny the truth.’ 251 And so
by the command of God they
defeated them. David killed
Goliath, and God gave him
kingship and wisdom, and
imparted to him the knowledge
of whatever He willed. Had it
not been for God’s repelling
some people by means of others,
the earth would have been filled
with corruption. But God is
bountiful to mankind.252 These are the revelations
of God which We recite to you in
2:250 Al-Baqarah 30
all truth, for you are truly one of
the messengers. 253 Of these
messengers, We have given
something additional among
them. There are some to whom
God spoke directly and others
He exalted in rank. We gave
Jesus, son of Mary clear signs,
and strengthened him with the
holy spirit. Had God pleased,
those who succeeded them would
not have fought against one
another after the clear signs had
come to them. But they disagreed
among themselves; some
believed, while others did not.
Yet had God willed, they would
not have fought against one
another; but God does whatever
He wills.254 Believers, spend out of
what We have given you, before
the Day comes when there will
be neither trading, friendship nor
intercession. Truly, it is those
who deny the truth who are the
wrongdoers. 255 God: there is no
deity save Him, the Living, the
Eternal One. Neither slumber
nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him
belong whatsoever is in the
heavens and whatsoever is on
the earth. Who can intercede
with Him except by His
permission? He knows all that is
before them and all that is behind
them. They can grasp only that
part of His knowledge which He
wills. His throne extends over
the heavens and the earth; and
their upholding does not weary
Him. He is the Sublime, the
Almighty One! 256 There shall
be no compulsion in religion:
true guidance has become distinct
from error. But whoever refuses
to be led by Satan and believes in
God has grasped the strong
handhold that will never break.
God is all hearing and all
knowing. 257 God is the patron
of the faithful. He leads them
from darkness to the light. As for
those who deny the truth, their
supporter is Satan, who brings
them out of light into darkness.
They are the heirs of the Fire,
and there they will remain
forever.258 Have you not heard of him
who argued with Abraham about
his Lord because God had
31 The Heifer 2:259
bestowed the kingdom upon
him? Abraham said, ‘My Lord is
the one who gives life and brings
death.’ He answered, ‘I [too]
give life and bring death!’
Abraham said, ‘God brings up
the sun from the east, so bring it
up yourself from the west.’ Then
the disbeliever was confounded.
God does not guide the
wrongdoers.259 Or of him who, when
passing by a town the roofs of
which had caved in, exclaimed,
‘How will God restore it to life
after its destruction?’ Thereupon
God caused him to die, and after
a hundred years, brought him
back to life. God asked, ‘How
long have you remained in this
state?’ He answered, ‘I have
remained a day or part of a day.’
God said, ‘No, you have
remained in this state for a
hundred years. Now look at your
food and your drink; they have
not rotted. Look at your ass. We
will make you a sign to mankind.
Look at the bones—how We set
them together, then clothe them
with flesh!’ When it had all
become clear to him, he said,
‘Now I know that God has power
over all things.’ 260 When
Abraham said, ‘Show me, my
Lord, how You revive the dead!’
God said, ‘Do you not believe?’
Abraham answered, ‘Yes, indeed
I do believe, but just to reassure
my heart.’ Then God said, ‘Take
four birds, and train them to
come back to you. Then place
them separately on each hilltop,
and call them: they will come
flying to you. Know that God is
almighty and wise.’261 Those who spend their
wealth for God’s cause may be
compared to a grain of corn
which sprouts into seven ears,
with a hundred grains in each
ear: for God grants manifold
increase to whom He wills; God
is infinite and all knowing.262 Those who spend their wealth
for God’s cause and do not follow
their almsgiving with taunts and
insults shall be rewarded by their
Lord; they shall have no fear, nor
shall they grieve. 263 A kind word
and forgiveness is better than a
charitable deed followed by
2:260 Al-Baqarah 32
hurtful words: God is self-
sufficient and forbearing.264 Believers, do not cancel out
your charitable deeds with
reminders and hurtful words, like
one who spends his wealth only
to be seen by people, and not
believing in God and the Last
Day. Such men are like a rock
covered with earth: a shower
falls upon it and leaves it hard
and bare. They will gain nothing
from their works. God does not
guide those who deny the truth.265 But those who spend their
wealth in order to gain God’s
approval, and to strengthen their
souls are like a garden on
elevated ground. When heavy
rain falls on it, it doubles its
produce; and if heavy rain does
not fall, then light rain suffices.
God sees what you do. 266 Would
any of you, being a man well
advanced in age with helpless
children to support, like to have
a garden of dates and grapes,
watered by rivers and containing
all kinds of fruits, stricken by a
fiery whirlwind and utterly
scorched? Thus God makes His
signs clear to you, so that you
may reflect.267 Believers, give charitably
from the good things which you
have earned and what We
produce for you from the earth;
not worthless things which you
yourselves would only
reluctantly accept. Know that
God is self-sufficient and
praiseworthy. 268 Satan threatens
you with the prospect of poverty
and commands you to do foul
deeds. But God promises His
forgiveness and His bounty. God
is bountiful and all knowing.269 He grants wisdom to whom
He will; and whoever is granted
wisdom has indeed been granted
abundant wealth. Yet none bear
this in mind except those
endowed with understanding.270 Whatever you spend and
whatever vows you make are
known to God, but the
wrongdoers shall have no
helpers. 271 If you give charity
openly, it is good, but if you keep
it secret and give to the needy in
private, that is better for you, and
it will atone for some of your bad
33 The Heifer 2:275
deeds. God is aware of all that
you do. 272 It is not your
responsibility to make them
follow the right path; God guides
whomever He pleases. Whatever
wealth you spend is to your own
benefit, provided that you spend
only to seek the favour of God.
Whatever wealth you spend [for
God’s cause] shall be repaid to
you in full and you shall not be
wronged. 273 The needy, who are
too engrossed in God’s cause to
be able to travel about the land in
search of a livelihood, are
considered by those who are
unaware of their condition to be
free from want, because they
refrain from begging. But they
can be known from their
appearance. They do not make
insistent demands upon people.
Whatever wealth you spend, God
knows it. 274 Those who spend
their wealth night and day, both
privately and publicly, will
receive their reward from their
Lord. They shall have no fear,
nor shall they grieve.275 Those who live on
usury shall rise up before God
like men whom Satan has
demented by his touch; for they
say, ‘Buying and selling is only
a kind of usury.’ But God has
made trade lawful and made
usury unlawful. Therefore, he
who desists because of the
admonition that has come to him
from his Lord may retain what
he has received in the past; and
it will be for God to judge him.
Those who revert to it shall be
the inmates of the Fire; they
shall abide therein forever.276 God blights usury and blesses
charitable deeds. God does not
love the ungrateful wrongdoer.277 Those who believe, do good
deeds, attend to their prayers
and engage in almsgiving, shall
be rewarded by their Lord and
shall have no fear, nor shall they
grieve.278 Believers, have fear of God,
and give up what is still due to
you from usury, if you are true
believers. 279 For, if you do not
do so, then know that you are at
war with God and His
Messenger. But if you repent,
you may retain your capital. Do
2:276 Al-Baqarah 34
not wrong [others] and you will
not be wronged. 280 If the debtor
is in straitened circumstances,
then grant him respite till a time
of ease. If you were to write it off
as an act of charity, that would
be better for you, if only you
knew. 281 Fear the Day when you
shall be made to return to God;
then every soul shall be paid in
full what it has earned; and they
shall not be wronged.282 Believers, when you
contract a debt for a stated term,
put it down in writing; have a
scribe write it down with fairness
between you. No scribe should
refuse to write: let him write as
God has taught him, let the debtor
dictate, and let him fear God, his
Lord, and not diminish [the debt]
at all. If the debtor is weak in
mind or body, or unable to
dictate, then in fairness let his
guardian dictate for him. Call in
two of your men as witnesses.
But if two men cannot be found,
then call one man and two women
out of those you approve of as
witnesses, so that if one of the
two women should forget the
other can remind her. Let the
witnesses not refuse when they
are summoned. Do not be
disinclined to write down your
debts, be they small or large,
together with the date of
payment. This is more just in the
sight of God; it is more reliable
as testimony, and more likely to
prevent doubts arising between
you, unless it be ready
merchandise which you give or
take from hand to hand, then it
will not be held against you for
not writing it down. Have
witnesses present whenever you
trade with one another, and let
no harm be done to either scribe
or witness, for if you did cause
them harm, it would be a crime
on your part. Be mindful of God;
He teaches you: He has full
knowledge of everything. 283 If
you are on a journey and do not
find any literate person,
something should be handed over
as security. If one of you entrusts
another with something, let the
trustee restore the pledge to its
owner; and let him fear God, his
Lord. Do not conceal testimony.
35 The Heifer 2:286
If someone does conceal it, in
his heart he commits a crime.
God knows what you do.284 All that the heavens and
the earth contain belongs to God,
whether you disclose what is in
your minds or keep it hidden.
God will bring you to account
for it. He will forgive whom He
will and punish whom He
pleases: He has power over all
things. 285 The Messenger
believes in what has been sent
down to him from his Lord, and
[so do] believers. They all believe
in God and His angels, His
scriptures, and His messengers.
They say, ‘We do not differentiate
between any of His messengers.
We hear and obey. Grant us Your
forgiveness, Lord, to You we
shall all return!’ 286 God does not
charge a soul with more than it
can bear. It shall be requited
for whatever good and
whatever evil it has done. [They
pray], ‘Our Lord, do not take us
to task if we forget or make a
mistake! Our Lord, do not place
on us a burden like the one You
placed on those before us!
Our Lord, do not place on
us a burden we have not
the strength to bear! Pardon us;
and forgive us; and have
mercy on us. You are our
Lord and Sustainer, so help
us against those who deny
the truth.’
3 . T H E FA M I LY O F ‘ I M R A N
( A L - ‘ I M R A N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Mim
2 God! There is no deity save
Him, the Living, the Sustainer.3 He has sent down the Book to
you with truth, which fulfils [the
predictions] in the Scriptures that
preceded it: He sent down the
Torah and the Gospel 4 in the
past as guidance for mankind;
He has [also] sent down the
Standard by which to discern the
true from the false. Surely those
who deny God’s signs will suffer
severe punishment. God is
mighty and capable of
retribution. 5 Nothing on earth or
in the heavens is hidden from
God: 6 it is He who shapes you in
the womb as He will. There is no
deity save Him, the Mighty, the
Wise One.
7 It is He who has sent down
the Book to you. Some of its
verses are clear and precise in
meaning—they are the basis of
the Book—while others are
allegorical. Those with deviation
in their hearts pursue the
allegorical, so as to create
dissension by seeking to explain
it: but no one knows its meaning
except God. Those who are
firmly grounded in knowledge
say, ‘We believe in it: it is all
from our Lord.’ But only the
wise take heed. 8 ‘Our Lord, do
not let our hearts deviate after
You have guided us. Bestow
upon us Your mercy. Surely You
are a Munificent Giver. 9 Our
Lord, You will surely gather all
mankind on the Day of
whose coming there is no doubt.
3:1 Al-‘Imran 36
God never fails to fulfill Hispromise.’
10 As for those who deny thetruth, their wealth and childrenwill not help them against God.They will be fuel for the Fire.11 Their end will be like Pharaoh’speople and those before them;they denied Our signs, so Godseized them in their sinfulness:God is stern in punishment.12 Say to those who deny thetruth, ‘You shall be overcomeand driven into Hell—an evilresting place!’ 13 There was asign for you in the two groupswhich met face to face [at Badr],one party fighting for the causeof God and the other made up ofthose who deny the truth. They[unbelievers] saw with their owneyes that the others [believers]were twice their number: but Godstrengthens with His succourwhom He wills. In this, there isindeed a lesson for all who haveeyes to see.
14 The satisfaction of worldlydesires through women, andchildren, and heaped-up treasuresof gold and silver, and pedigreed
horses, and cattle and lands is
37 The Family of ‘Imran 3:19
attractive to people. All this is
the provision of the worldly life;
but the most excellent abode is
with God. 15 Say, ‘Shall I tell you
of something better than all of
these? For the God-fearing, there
are Gardens in nearness to their
God with rivers flowing through
them where they shall live forever
with pure spouses and the
goodwill of God. God is
watching His servants —16 those
who say, “Lord, we believe in
You, forgive us our sins and
keep us from the punishment of
the Fire,” 17 those who are
steadfast, truthful, obedient, and
those who spend [for God’s
cause] and who pray before dawn
for forgiveness.’18 God bears witness that there
is no deity save Him, as do the
angels and those who possess
knowledge. He is the upholder
of justice. There is no diety save
Him, the Mighty, the Wise One.19 The only true religion in God’s
sight is complete submission to
God. And those who were given
the Book disagreed only out of
rivalry, after knowledge had been
given to them—he who denies
God’s signs should know that
God is swift in His reckoning.20 If they dispute with you, say, ‘I
have submitted my whole being
to God and so have those who
follow me.’ And ask those who
have been given the Book, as
well as the unlettered, ‘Do you
submit yourselves to God in the
same way?’ If they submit
themselves to Him, they are on
the right path; but if they turn
away, your duty is only to convey
the message. God is observant of
all His servants. 21 Those who
deny God’s signs and kill the
prophets unjustly and kill those
who enjoin justice—give them
warning of a woeful
punishment— 22 their deeds will
come to nothing in this world as
well as in the hereafter; they will
have no supporters.23 Have you not seen those
who received a portion of the
Book? When they are invited to
accept the judgement of God’s
Book, a group of them turns
away in aversion. 24 That is
because they say, ‘The Fire will
3:20 Al-‘Imran 38
touch us only for a limited
number of days.’ Thus the false
beliefs which they have invented
have deluded them in the matter
of their religion. 25 How will it
be when We gather them all
together upon a Day which is
sure to come, when every human
being shall be repaid in full for
what he has done? They will not
be wronged. 26 Say, ‘Lord,
sovereign of all sovereignty. You
bestow sovereignty on whom
you will and take it away from
whom You please; You exalt
whoever You will and abase
whoever You will. All that is
good lies in Your hands. You
have the power to will anything.27 You cause the night to pass
into the day, and the day into the
night; You bring forth the living
from the lifeless and the lifeless
from the living. You give without
measure to whom You will.’28 Let not the believers take
those who deny the truth for
their allies in preference to the
believers—anyone who does that
will isolate himself completely
from God—unless it be to protect
yourselves against them in this
way.a God admonishes you to
fear Him: for, to God shall all
return. 29 Say, ‘God knows
everything that is in your heart,
whether you conceal it or reveal
it; He knows everything that the
heavens and earth contain; God
has power over all things.’ 30 On
the Day when every human being
will find himself faced with all
the good that he has done, and
with all the evil that he has done,
many will wish that there were a
long space of time between
himself and that [Day]. God
admonishes you to fear Him, but
God is compassionate towards
His servants. 31 Say, ‘If you love
God, follow me and God will
love you and forgive you your
sins. God is most forgiving, and
most merciful.’ 32 Say, ‘Obey
God and the Messenger,’ and if
they turn away, God does not
love those who deny the truth.33 God chose Adam and Noah
and the family of Abraham and
the family of ‘Imran above all
His creatures. 34 They are the
offspring of one another. God
39 The Family of ‘Imran 3:37
hears all and knows all.35 Remember when the wife of
‘Imran said, ‘My Lord, I have
dedicated what is in my womb
entirely to Your service. So
accept this from me. You are the
One who hears and knows all.’36 When she gave birth, she said,
‘My Lord, I have given birth to
a girl’—God knew very well
what she had given birth to: a
male is not like a female—‘I
have named her Mary and placed
her and her children in Your
protection from the rejected
Satan.’ 37 Her Lord graciously
accepted her and made her grow
in goodness and entrusted her to
the care of Zachariah. Every
time Zachariah visited her in her
chamber he found some
provision with her. He asked,
‘Mary, where did this provision
come from?’ She replied,
a A believer treats all human beings
with justice and fairness, without
differentiating between Muslims and
non-Muslims. But friendship with non-
Muslims who are at war with Islam is
not lawful.
‘This is from God. God provides
for whoever He wills
without measure.’ 38 Thereupon
Zachariah prayed to his Lord,
saying, ‘Lord, grant me by Your
own grace virtuous offspring.
You are the hearer of all prayers.’39 As he stood praying in the
chamber, the angels called out to
him, saying, ‘God gives you the
good news of John, who shall
confirm the Word from God, and
[shall be] outstanding among
men, and utterly chaste, and a
prophet from among the
righteous.’ 40 ‘Lord,’ said
Zachariah, ‘how shall I have a
son when I am now overtaken by
old age and my wife is barren?’
‘Such is the will of God,’ replied
[the angel], ‘He does what He
pleases.’ 41 He said, ‘My Lord,
grant me a sign.’ [The angel]
said, ‘Your sign is that you will
not be able to speak to people for
three days except by signs.
Remember your Lord much and
glorify Him morning and
evening.’ 42 The angels said,
‘Mary, God has selected you and
purified you. He has selected
3:38 Al-‘Imran 40
you over all the women of the
world. 43 O Mary! Remain truly
devout to your Sustainer, and
prostrate yourself in worship,
and bow down with those who
bow down [before Him].’ 44 This
is an account of the unseen,
which We reveal to you. You
were not with them when they
drew lots as to which of them
should be Mary’s guardian and
you were not with them when
they disputed with one another.45 When the angels said, ‘O
Mary, your Lord gives you good
news of a Word from Him. His
name is the Messiah, Jesus, son
of Mary, honoured in this world
and in the next and one of those
who are granted nearness to God.46 And he shall speak to men in
his cradle, and as a grown man,
and shall be one of the righteous.’47 ‘Lord,’ she said, ‘how can I
have a child when no man has
touched me?’ [The angel] replied,
‘Thus it is: God creates what He
wills: when He wills a thing He
need only say, “Be,” and it is.48 God will instruct him in the
Book and in wisdom and in the
Torah and in the Gospel. 49 He
will make him a messenger to
the Children of Israel. He will
say: “I have come to you with a
sign from your Lord. I will make
the shape of a bird out of clay for
you and then breathe into it and,
by God’s leave, it will become a
living bird. And by God’s leave
I will heal the blind and the leper
and bring the dead to life. I will
tell you what you eat and what
you store up in your homes.
Surely in this there is a sign for
you, if you are believers. 50 I
come to fulfill [the prediction]
of the Torah which preceded me
and to make lawful for you some
of what was forbidden to you
and I come to you with a sign
from your Lord. So fear God and
obey me. 51 God is my Lord and
your Lord, so worship Him. That
is the straight path.”’52 When Jesus perceived their
denial, he said, ‘Who will be my
helpers in God’s cause?’ The
disciples said, ‘We are God’s
helpers, we believe in God. Bear
witness that we have surrendered
ourselves. 53 Our Lord, we
41 The Family of ‘Imran 3:60
believe in what You have sent
down and we follow the
messenger, so count us among
those who bear witness.’ 54 And
they schemed but God also
schemed and God is the Best of
Schemers. 55 God said, ‘O Jesus,
I shall take you to Me and will
raise you up to Me and shall
clear you [of the calumnies] of
the disbelievers, and shall place
those who follow you above
those who deny the truth, until
the Day of Judgement; then to
Me shall all return and I will
judge between you regarding
your disputes. 56 Those who deny
the truth shall be sternly punished
in this world and in the world to
come: there shall be none to help
them.’ 57 As for those who have
believed and do good works,
they shall be given their reward
in full. God does not love evil-
doers. 58 This which We recite to
you is a revelation and a wise
reminder.59 Jesus in the sight of God is
like Adam. He created him from
dust; then said to him, ‘Be!’ and
he was. 60 This is the truth from
your Lord, so do not be among
the doubters. 61 And if anyone
should argue with you about this
[truth] after the knowledge you
have received, say to them,
‘Come! Let us gather our sons
and your sons, our women and
your women, and ourselves and
yourselves; and then let us pray
earnestly and invoke the curse of
God upon the liars. 62 This is the
true account. There is no deity
save Him. God is Mighty and
Wise.’ 63 And if they turn away,
God knows well the evil-doers.64 Say, ‘People of the Book,
let us come to a word common to
us that we shall worship none
but God and that we shall
associate no partner with Him
and that none of us shall take
others, besides God, for lords.’
And if they turn away, say, ‘Bear
witness that we have submitted
to God.’ 65 People of the Book,
why do you dispute about
Abraham when the Torah and
Gospel were only sent down
after him. Do you not use your
reason? 66 You are those who
disputed about things of which
3:61 Al-‘Imran 42
you had some knowledge. Must
you now argue about things of
which you have no knowledge?
God knows, but you do not know.67 Abraham was neither a Jew
nor a Christian. He was an
upright man, one who had
surrendered himself to God. He
was not one of those who
associate partners with God.68 Surely, the people who are
closest to Abraham are those
who followed him and this
Prophet [Muhammad], and those
who believe in him. God is the
guardian of the believers.69 Some of the People of the
Book wish to lead you astray but
they only lead themselves astray,
though they do not realise it.70 People of the Book! Why
do you deny God’s signs,
having been witnesses thereof?71 People of the Book! Why do
you mix truth with falsehood
and knowingly conceal the truth?72 Some of the People of the
Book say to one another, ‘Believe
in what is revealed to the faithful
in the morning and deny it in the
evening, so that they [the
Muslims] may themselves
abandon their faith [in
confusion]. 73 Believe only in
those who follow your own
religion.’ Say to them, ‘Surely,
the true guidance is the guidance
from God.’ [But you think it is
impossible that] someone else
may be granted [revelation] such
as you were granted—or else
that they should contend against
you before your Lord. Say, ‘All
grace is in God’s hand; He grants
it to whom He wills: for God is
boundless, and all knowing, 74 He
singles out for His mercy
whoever He pleases. God is the
Lord of exceeding bounty.’75 Among the people of the Book
there are some who, if you entrust
them with a heap of gold, will
return it to you. But there are
others of them who, if you entrust
them with a single dinar, will
not return it to you, unless you
keep demanding it from them.
That is because they say, ‘We are
under no obligation towards the
gentiles.’ They deliberately tell
lies about God. 76 Indeed God
loves those who honour their
43 The Family of ‘Imran 3:80
covenants and fear Him. God
loves the righteous.77 Those who sell out God’s
covenant and their oaths for a
paltry price will have no share in
the life to come on the Day of
Resurrection. God will neither
speak to them nor cast a look
upon them on the Day of
Judgement, nor will He purify
them. For them there shall be a
grievous punishment. 78 There
are some among them who distort
the Book by the way they speak
to make you think that what they
say is from the Book, whereas it
is not. They say it is from God
whereas it is not. Thus they tell
a lie about God and they know it.79 No one to whom God has
given the Scriptures and on
whom He has bestowed wisdom
and prophethood would say to
men, ‘Worship me instead of
God.’ [He would say rather], ‘Be
devoted servants of God, for you
have taught and studied the
Scriptures.’ 80 Nor would he
enjoin you to take the angels and
the prophets as your lords; how
could he command you to be
disbelievers after you have
submitted to God.81 When God made a covenant
with the prophets, He said, ‘Here
is the Book and the wisdom
which I have given you. When
there comes to you a messenger
fulfilling that [predictions about
him in their Scripture] which is
with you, you must believe in
him and help him. Do you then
affirm this and accept the
responsibility I have laid upon
you in these terms?’ They said,
‘We will affirm it.’ God said,
‘Then bear witness, and I will
bear witness with you.’ 82 Now
whoever turns away after this,
are surely transgressors. 83 Do
they seek a religion other than
the religion of God, when
everything in the heavens and
the earth has submitted to Him,
willingly or unwillingly? To Him
they shall all return. 84 Say, ‘We
believe in God and in what has
been sent down to us and to
Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob
and the Tribes. We believe in
what has been given to Moses,
3:81 Al-‘Imran 44
Jesus and the prophets from their
Lord. We make no distinction
between any of them. It is to Him
that we have surrendered
ourselves.’ 85 If anyone seeks a
religion other than Islam
[submission to God], it will not
be accepted from him; he will be
among the losers in the Hereafter.86 How would God bestow His
guidance upon people who have
opted for unbelief after having
embraced the faith and having
borne witness that this
Messenger is true and [after] all
evidence of the truth has come to
them? For, God does not guide
such wrongdoers: 87 such people
will be rewarded with rejection
by God, by the angels, by all
mankind. 88 In this state they
shall abide forever; their
punishment shall not be lightened
nor shall they be granted respite.89 Except for those who
afterwards repent and reform.
God is forgiving and merciful;90 but as for those who are bent
on denying the truth after
accepting the true faith and grow
in their refusal to acknowledge
the truth, their repentance will
not be accepted. They are the
ones who have gone far astray.91 Those who reject faith and die
in the state of rejection will not
be saved, even if they offer as
ransom enough gold to fill the
entire earth. Painful punishment
is in store for them and they will
have no supporters.92 Never will you attain to
righteousness unless you spend
for the cause of God out of what
you cherish; and whatever you
spend is known to God. 93 All
food was lawful for the Children
of Israel, except whatever Israel
had made unlawful for himself
before the Torah was sent down.
Say to them, ‘Bring the Torah
then and read it, if you are
truthful. 94 Those who, after this,
persist in making up lies and
attributing them to God are
transgressors.’ 95 Say, ‘God
speaks the Truth, so follow the
faith of Abraham. He was an
upright man and he was not one
of the polytheists.’ 96 The first
House to be built for mankind
was the one at Bakkah [Makkah].
45 The Family of ‘Imran 3:101
It is a blessed place; a source of
guidance for the whole world.97 There are clear signs in it; it is
the place where Abraham stood.
Anyone who enters it will be
secure. Pilgrimage to the House
is a duty to God for anyone
who is able to undertake
it. Anyone who disbelieves
should remember that God is
independent of all creatures.98 Say, ‘People of the Book, why
do you reject God’s revelations
when God is witness to all that
you do?’ 99 Say, ‘People of the
Book, why do you turn the
believers away from the path of
God, seeking to make it crooked,
while you are witnesses thereof?
God is not unaware of what you
do.’100 O believers, if you yield to
some of those who were given
the Scripture, they will cause
you to renounce the truth after
you have believed. 101 But how
can you deny the truth when
God’s revelations are being
conveyed to you and His own
Messenger is in your midst? He
who holds fast to God is indeed
guided to the straight path.102 Believers, fear God as is His
due, and when death comes, be
in a state of complete submission
to Him. 103 Hold fast to the cord
of God and let nothing divide
you. Remember the blessings He
has bestowed upon you; you
were enemies and then He united
your hearts and by His grace you
became brothers; you were on
the brink of an abyss of Fire and
He rescued you from it. Thus
God makes His signs clear to you,
so that you may find guidance.104 Let there be a group among
you who call others to good, and
enjoin what is right, and forbid
what is wrong: those who do this
shall be successful. 105 Do not be
like those who, after they had
been given clear evidence, split
into factions and differed among
themselves: a terrible punishment
awaits such people. 106 On the
Day when some faces are bright
and some faces are dark, it will
be said to those with darkened
faces, ‘Did you reject faith after
accepting it? Taste, then, this
punishment for having denied
3:102 Al-‘Imran 46
the truth!’ 107 But as for those
with shining faces, they shall
abide forever in God’s grace.108 These are God’s revelations;
We recite them to you in all
truth. God desires no injustice to
mankind. 109 His is all that the
heavens and the earth contain.
To God shall all things return.110 You are indeed the best
community that has ever been
brought forth for [the good of]
mankind. You enjoin what is
good, and forbid what is evil,
and you believe in God. If the
People of the Book had also
believed, it would have surely
been better for them. Some of
them are true believers, but most
of them are disobedient. 111 They
can do you very little harm; if
they come out to fight you, they
will show you their backs; then
they shall not be helped—112 abasement shall attend them
wherever they are found, unless
they make a covenant with God
or with man. They have incurred
God’s wrath and have been
utterly humbled, because they
have persistently disbelieved in
God’s signs and killed prophets
unjustly. This resulted from their
disobedience and their habit of
transgression.113 Yet they are not all alike.
Of the People of the Book there
are some who stand by their
covenant; they recite the word of
God during the night and
prostrate themselves before Him,114 who believe in God and the
Last Day, who enjoin justice and
forbid evil and vie with each
other in good works. These are
righteous men 115 and they will
not be denied [the reward] for
whatever good deeds they do:
God knows the righteous. 116 As
for those who deny the truth,
neither their possessions nor their
children shall avail them in the
least against God. They will be
inmates of the Fire. They will
remain there for ever; 117 that
which they spend in pursuit of
the life of this world is like a
biting frosty blast which smites
the harvest of a people who have
wronged themselves, and destroys
it. God is not unjust to them; they
are unjust to their own souls.
47 The Family of ‘Imran 3:122
118 Believers, do not take
outsiders as your intimate friends,
they will spare no effort to harm
you. They love to see you suffer;
their hatred is evident from the
words which fall from their
mouths. But what their hearts
conceal is far worse. We have
made Our signs clear to you; will
you not understand? 119 It is you
who love them, but they do not
love you; you believe in all the
revealed Books. When they meet
you, they say, ‘We believe,’ but
when they are alone, they bite
their fingertips with rage. Say,
‘Die of rage!’ God is aware of
what your hearts contain.120 Whenever something good
happens to you, it grieves them;
but when evil befalls you, they
rejoice. If you persevere and fear
God, their designs will never
harm you in the least: God
encompasses all that they do.121 When you set out at dawn
from your home to assign battle
positions to the believers—God
hears all and knows all. 122 When
two groups from among you
were about to lose heart, God
was their protector. In God let
the faithful put their trust. 123 God
had already helped you at Badr,
when you were weak. Fear God,
so that you may be grateful.124 [And remember] when you
said to the believers, ‘Does it not
suffice that your Lord helps you
by sending down three thousand
angels? 125 If you remain patient
and God-fearing, and the enemy
should fall upon you all of a
sudden, Your Lord will reinforce
you with five thousand angels
clearly marked!’ 126 and God
ordained this only as good news
for you so that your hearts might
be comforted—help comes only
from God, the Powerful, the
Wise One—127 and so that He
might cut off a portion of those
who are bent on denying the
truth or abase them so that they
might be turned back frustrated.128 You have no say in this
affair to decide whether He will
relent towards them or He will
punish them: they are
wrongdoers. 129 Whatever is in
the heavens and whatever is on
the earth belong to God. He
3:123 Al-‘Imran 48
forgives whoever He pleases and
punishes whoever He pleases.
God is most forgiving and
ever merciful.130 Believers, do not devour
usury multiplied many times
over. Fear God, so that you may
prosper—131 guard yourself
against the Fire prepared for
those who deny the truth—132 and obey God and the
Messenger, so that you may be
given mercy. 133 And vie with
one another for your Lord’s
forgiveness and for a Paradise as
vast as the heavens and the earth,
which has been prepared for the
God-fearing, 134 for those who
spend, both in prosperity and
adversity, who restrain their anger
and are forgiving towards their
fellow men—God loves those
who do good works. 135 And
who, when they have committed
an indecency or have wronged
their souls, remember God and
pray that their sins be forgiven—
for who but God can forgive
sins?—and do not knowingly
persist in their misdeeds, 136 their
recompense is forgiveness from
their Lord, and Gardens with
rivers flowing through them,
where they will abide forever.
How excellent will be the reward
of those who do good works.137 There are many examples [of
the communities] that have
passed away before you: travel
through the land, and see what
was the end of those who rejected
the Truth. 138 This Quran is an
exposition for the people and a
guidance and admonition for
those who fear God.139 And do not become faint of
heart, nor grieve—you will have
the upper hand, if you are
believers—140 if you have
suffered a wound, they too have
suffered a similar wound. We
bring these days to men by turns,
so that God may know those
who believe, and choose
witnesses from among you; and
God does not love the unjust,141 so that God may purge those
who believe and wipe out those
who deny the truth. 142 Do you
suppose that you would enter the
Garden, without God knowing
those among you who would
49 The Family of ‘Imran 3:147
strive hard for His cause and
endure with fortitude? 143 You
were longing for death, before
you met it. Now you have seen it
with your own eyes.144 Muhammad is only a
messenger. Messengers have
passed away before him. If he
should die, or be killed, will you
turn back on your heels? Those
who turn on their heels do not
harm the Lord in the least. God
will reward the grateful. 145 No
soul shall die except with God’s
permission and at an appointed
time. And if one desires the
rewards of this world, We shall
grant it to him; and if one desires
the rewards of the life to come,
We shall grant it to him. We will
reward the grateful. 146 How
many a prophet has fought with
many devout men alongside him!
They did not lose heart, despite
all that they had to suffer in
God’s path. They neither
weakened nor yielded. God loves
the patient! 147 All they said was,
‘Our Lord, forgive us our sins
and our excesses. Make our feet
firm, and help us against those
who deny the truth,’ 148 and so
God gave them both the rewards
of this life and the excellent
recompense of the life to come:
God loves those who do good.149 Believers, if you yield to
those who deny the truth, they
will cause you to turn back on
your heels and you will turn into
losers. 150 No, indeed! it is God
who is your protector: He is the
best supporter. 151 We will strike
awe into the hearts of those who
deny the truth, because they have
associated partners with God,
for which He has sent down no
authority. Their abode shall be
the Fire, and evil indeed is the
abode of the wrongdoers. 152 And
God made good His promise to
you when by His leave you were
about to destroy your foes, but
then your courage failed you and
you disagreed among yourselves
[concerning the Prophet’s
direction] and disobeyed it, after
He had brought you within sight
of what you wished for—some
of you desired the goods of this
world and some of you desired
the Hereafter—then in order that
3:148 Al-‘Imran 50
He might put you to the test, He
prevented you from defeating
your foes. But now He has
pardoned you: God is most
gracious to the believers.153 When you were running away
and did not look back at anyone,
while the Messenger was calling
to you from behind, He paid you
back with one sorrow after
another, so that you might not
grieve for what you lost, nor for
what befell you. God is aware of
what you do.154 Then, after sorrow He sent
down peace [of mind] upon you
in the shape of drowsiness that
overcame some of you, but there
were others who were anxious
only about themselves. They
entertained false notions about
God, like the notions of the days
of ignorance. ‘Have we any say
in the matter?’ they asked. Say to
them, ‘All is in the hands of
God.’ They conceal in their hearts
what they would not reveal to
you. They say, ‘Had we had any
say in the matter, none of us
would have been killed here.’
Say to them, ‘Had you stayed in
your homes, those whose death
had been decreed would
nevertheless have gone forth to
the places where they were
destined to die.’ And all this
befell you so that God might test
what is in your minds. And in
order to purify what was in your
hearts. For God is aware of your
innermost thoughts. 155 Those of
you who turned away on the day
the two hosts met [in battle]
were made to slip by Satan on
account of some of their deeds.
But God has pardoned them:
God is forgiving and forbearing.156 Believers, do not be like
those who are bent on denying
the truth and who say of their
brothers, when they travel about
the land or go forth to war, ‘Had
they but remained with us, they
would not have died, or been
slain’—for God will cause such
thoughts to become a source of
bitter regret in their hearts, since
it is God who gives life and
causes death. And God sees all
that you do. 157 If you are killed
or die in God’s cause, then surely
forgiveness from God and His
51 The Family of ‘Imran 3:162
grace are better than all that one
could amass. 158 For, indeed, if
you die or are killed, it is to God
that you shall be gathered. 159 It
is by God’s grace that you were
gentle with them—for if you had
been harsh and hard-hearted, they
would surely have deserted
you—so bear with them and
pray for forgiveness for them.
Take counsel with them in the
conduct of affairs; then, when
you have decided upon a course
of action, place your trust in
God: for God loves those who
place their trust in Him. 160 If
God helps you, none can
overcome you, but if He
withdraws His help from you,
who is there who can help you
besides Him? In God, then, let
the believers place their trust!161 It is not for any Prophet to
hold back anything; he who hides
anything away shall bring it forth
on the Day of Resurrection, when
every human being shall be
repaid in full for whatever he has
done, and none shall be wronged.162 Can one who seeks the
pleasure of God, be like one who
incurs the wrath of God and
whose abode shall be Hell—an
evil destination? 163 All have a
different standing in the eyes of
God, and God is observant of all
their actions. 164 Indeed, God has
conferred a great favour on the
believers in sending a Messenger
from among themselves, to recite
His revelations to them, and
purify them, and teaches them
the Book and wisdom, for, before
that they were surely in manifest
error.165 What! When a misfortune
befalls you, after you had
yourself inflicted twice as heavy
losses, you say, ‘How has this
come about?’ Say, ‘It was your
own fault.’ Truly, God has the
power to will anything: 166 the
misfortune which befell you on
the day when the two armies met
happened by God’s leave, so that
He might mark out the [true]
believers 167 and know those who
acted hypocritically.’ When they
were told, ‘Come, fight in God’s
cause and defend yourselves,’
they replied, ‘If we knew that
fighting would take place, we
3:163 Al-‘Imran 52
would surely follow you.’ They
were that day nearer to unbelief
than to belief. The words they
utter bear no relation to what is
in their hearts. God knows well
what they conceal. 168 Those who
stayed behind, said of their
brothers, ‘Had they listened to
us, they would not have been
killed.’ Say to them, ‘Ward off
death from yourselves, then, if
what you say be true!’169 Do not think of those who
have been killed in God’s cause
as dead. They are alive, and well
provided for by their Lord;170 they are joyful because of
what God has bestowed on them
of His grace and they rejoice that
those they left behind, who have
not yet joined them, that they
shall have no fear, nor shall they
grieve; 171 rejoicing in God’s
grace and bounty. [They know
that] God will not fail to requite
the believers. 172 Those who
responded to the call of God and
the Messenger, despite their
having received an injury, and
such of them as did good deeds
and feared God, shall have a
great reward. 173 Those who, on
being told that, ‘the enemy has
gathered against you a great
force, so fear them,’ only grew
stronger in their faith and replied,
‘God is sufficient for us. He is
the best guardian.’ 174 They
returned home with God’s favour
and blessings, without having
been touched by evil; for they
pursued God’s pleasure. And
God’s bounty is infinite. 175 It is
Satan who instills fear [into you]
of his followers; do not fear
them. But fear Me, if you are
true believers.176 And let not those grieve
you who vie with one another in
denying the truth: they cannot
harm God in the least; it is God’s
will that they will have no share
in the life to come—a severe
punishment awaits them.177 Those who have bought a
denial of truth at the price of
faith can in no way harm God;
painful punishment awaits them.178 Let not those who deny the
truth think that Our granting
them respite is good for them:
Our granting them respite will
53 The Family of ‘Imran 3:181
only cause them to increase
in disobedience—shameful
punishment awaits them. 179 On
no account will God leave the
believers in the condition in
which they are now, until He
separates the evil from the good.
Nor will God reveal to you the
unseen. But God chooses those
of his messengers whom He will.
Therefore, believe in God and
His messengers, for if you have
faith and guard yourselves
against evil, you shall have a
great reward.180 Let not those who are
niggardly with what God has
granted them out of His bounty
think that it is good for them.
Indeed, it is evil for them. What
they are niggardly about shall be
hung about their necks like a
collar on the Day of Resurrection.
It is God who will inherit the
heavens and the earth: God is
aware of all that you do. 181 God
has indeed heard the words of
those who said, ‘Behold, God is
poor while we are rich!’ We shall
record what they have said—and
their slaying of the prophets
unjustly—and We shall say,
‘Taste the torment of burning.182 In return for what your own
hands have wrought—for never
does God do the least wrong to
His creatures!’ 183 To those who
say, ‘God has commanded us not
to believe in any messenger
unless he brings down to us an
offering to be consumed by fire,’
say, ‘Messengers before me have
come to you with clear signs,
including the one you demand.
Why did you kill them, if you are
telling the truth?’ 184 If they deny
you, so have other messengers
been denied before you, who
came with clear signs, scriptures
and enlightening book. 185 Every
human being is bound to taste
death: and you shall receive your
rewards in full on the Day of
Resurrection. He who is kept
away from the Fire and is
admitted to Paradise, will surely
triumph; for the life of this world
is nothing but an illusory
enjoyment.186 You will surely be tried and
tested in your possessions and
your persons, and you shall surely
3:182 Al-‘Imran 54
hear many hurtful things from
those who were given the Book
before you and from those who
set up partners with God, but if
you endure with fortitude
and restrain yourselves, that
indeed is a matter of strong
determination. 187 God made a
covenant with those who were
given the Book to make it known
to people and not conceal it. But
they cast it behind their backs
and bartered it for a paltry price:
what an evil bargain they made!188 Those who exult in their
misdeeds and love to be praised
for what they have not done
should not suppose that they are
secure from punishment;
they shall suffer a grievous
punishment. 189 The kingdom of
the heavens and the earth belongs
to God; God has power over all
things.190 There are signs in the
creation of the heavens and the
earth, and in the alternation of
night and day for people of
understanding; 191who remember
God while standing, sitting and
[lying] on their sides, and who
ponder over the creation of the
heavens and the earth, saying,
‘Lord, You have not created all
this without purpose. Glory be to
You! Save us from the torment
of the Fire. 192 Lord, those whom
You condemn to enter the Fire
You have surely brought to
disgrace. Wrongdoers will have
no supporters. 193 Lord, we have
heard a caller calling to the true
faith saying, “Believe in your
Lord,” and we believed. Lord,
forgive us our sins and remove
from us our bad deeds and make
us die with the virtuous. 194 Our
Lord! Grant us what You have
promised to us through Your
messengers, and do not humiliate
us on the Day of Resurrection.
Surely, You never fail to fulfill
Your promise.’195 Their Lord accepted their
prayer, saying, ‘I will deny no
man or woman among you the
reward of their labours. You are
members one of another. I will
certainly forgive the sins of those
who emigrated and were expelled
from their homes, who suffered
55 The Family of ‘Imran 3:200
persecution in My cause, who
fought and were killed. I will
certainly admit them to Gardens
through which rivers flow, as a
reward from God: with God is
the best reward.’ 196 Do not be
deceived by the actions of those
who deny the truth in the land:197 this is only a brief enjoyment,
after which Hell shall be their
abode—what an evil resting
place! 198 Those who fear their
Lord shall have gardens through
which rivers flow, wherein they
will abide forever: and a goodly
welcome from their Lord. God’s
recompense is best for the
virtuous. 199 Some of the People
of the Book believe in God, and
in what has been revealed to you
and what was revealed to them.
They humble themselves before
God and do not sell God’s
revelations for a trifling price.
These shall be rewarded by their
Lord: God is swift in reckoning!200 Believers, endure, vie with
each other in endurance, stand
firm in your faith and fear God,
so that you may succeed.
4 . W O M E N ( A L - N I S A’ )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 O mankind! Fear your Lord,
who created you from a single
soul. He created its mate from it
and from the two of them spread
countless men and women
[throughout the earth]. Fear God,
in whose name you appeal to one
another, and be mindful of your
obligations in respect of ties of
kinship. God is always watching
over you.a 2 Give the orphans the
possessions that belong to them,
do not exchange good things
with bad and do not consume
their property, adding it to your
own. Surely, this is a great crime.3 If you fear that you cannot deal
fairly with orphan girls, you may
marry women of your choice,
two or three or four; but if you
fear that you might not be able to
treat them with equal fairness,
then only one—or [from among]
those whom you rightfully
possess. That is more likely to
keep you from committing an
injustice. 4 And give the women
their dowers willingly, but if
they, of their own accord, remit
any part of it to you, you may
make use of it with pleasure and
goodwill.5 Do not give those who are of
immature mind your property
which God has granted you as a
means of support: make
provision for them out of it, and
clothe them, and give them good
advice. 6 Keep a close check on
orphans till they attain the age of
marriage; then, if you find them
to be mature of mind, hand over
their property to them. Do not
consume it by wasteful spending,
a All human beings are one and the
same by birth. Ultimately, everyone
can trace his origin to the same man
and woman as father and mother. It is,
therefore, necessary that all human
beings should have a feeling of affinity
with each other and live with fairness
and goodwill like the members of one
extended family.
(56)
11 Concerning your children,
God enjoins you that a male
shall receive a share equivalent
to that of two females. But if
there are more than two females,
then their share is two thirds of
the inheritance. If there is only
one, she will receive the half.
Each of your parents receives a
sixth of what you leave if you
have children. If you are childless
and your heirs are your parents,
your mother receives a third. If
you have brothers [or sisters] your
mother receives a sixth, after
[the deduction of] any bequest
you make or the repayment of
any debts with regard to your
father and your sons. You do not
know which of them is going to
benefit you more: but this fixing
of portions is by God and He is
all knowing and all wise. 12 You
will inherit half of what your
wives leave, provided they have
left no children. But if they leave
children then you inherit a quarter
of what they leave, after payment
of any bequests they may have
made or any debts they may have
incurred. Your wives shall inherit
before they come of age. If the
guardian is affluent, let him
abstain altogether, and if he is
poor, let him have for himself
what is just and reasonable.
When you hand over their
property to them, call witnesses
in their presence; God is
sufficient as a Reckoner. 7 Men
shall have a share in what parents
and relatives leave behind, and
women shall have a share in
what parents and relatives leave
behind, whether it be little or
much. This is ordained [by God].8 If other relatives, orphans or
needy people are present at the
time of the division, then provide
for them out of it, and speak
kindly to them. 9 Those who are
concerned about the fate of their
own helpless children if they
should die and leave them behind
should show the same concern
for orphans. Let them fear God
and uphold justice. 10 Those who
consume the property of orphans
unjustly are actually swallowing
fire into their own bellies; soon
they will burn in the blazing
Flame.
57 Women 4:12
4:13 Al-Nisa’ 58
one quarter of what you leave if
you are childless. But if you
leave children, your wives shall
inherit one eighth, after payment
of any bequest or debts. If a man
or woman has no direct heirs
[neither children or parents] but
has left a brother or a sister, they
shall each inherit one sixth, but
if they are more than two, they
share one third between them,
after payment of any bequests or
debts, so that no harm is done to
anyone. That is a commandment
from God: God is all knowing
and forbearing. 13 These are the
limits set by God. Anyone who
obeys God and His Messenger
will be admitted to Gardens
through which rivers flow, to
live there forever. That will be
the supreme achievement. 14 But
anyone who disobeys God and
His Messenger and transgresses
His limits shall be cast into a
Fire, wherein he will abide
forever. And he shall have a
humiliating punishment.15 If any of your women
commit fornication, call in four
male witnesses from among
yourselves against them; if they
testify to their guilt, confine them
to the house until death releases
them or until God gives them
another way out. 16 If two men
commit a like abomination,
punish them both. If they repent
and mend their ways, leave them
alone. God is forgiving and
merciful. 17 But God undertakes
to accept repentance only from
those who do evil out of
ignorance and those who repent
soon after. God turns towards
such people with mercy; He is
all knowing and all wise.18 Forgiveness is not for those
who continue to do evil deeds
until, when death comes upon one
of them, he says: ‘Now I repent!’
nor from those who die as deniers
of the truth. We have prepared a
painful punishment for them.19 Believers, it is not lawful
for you to inherit women against
their will, nor should you detain
them wrongfully, so that you
may take away a part of what you
have given them, unless they are
guilty of something clearly
outrageous. Live with them in
accordance with what is fair and
kind; if you dislike them, it may
be that you dislike something
which God might make a source
of abundant good. 20 If you desire
to replace one wife with another,
do not take any part of her dower
back: even if you have given her
a treasure. Would you take it by
slandering her and with manifest
sinfulness? 21 How can you take
it when you have been intimate
with one another, and she has
taken a solemn pledge from you?22 Do not marry women whom
your fathers married, except for
what has already taken place in
the past. This is indeed a
shameful deed, a loathsome thing
and an evil practice.23 You are forbidden to take as
wives your mothers, daughters,
sisters, paternal and maternal
aunts, your brothers’ daughters
and your sisters’ daughters, your
foster mothers and foster sisters,
your wives’ mothers and
stepdaughters in your protection
and the daughters of your wives
with whom you have
consummated your marriage; but
59 Women 4:25
if you have not consummated
your marriage then you will not
be blamed [if you marry their
daughters.] You are also
forbidden to marry the spouses
of your sons or two sisters
together, except what has already
passed. Surely, God is ever-
forgiving and merciful. 24 Also
forbidden are married women,
except those who have passed
into your hands as prisoners of
war. This is a commandment of
God to you. All women other
than these are lawful to you,
provided you seek them with
your wealth in honest wedlock,
not in fornication. When you
consummate your marriage with
them, give the dowers due to
them. And there is no sin for you
in what you do by mutual
agreement after the fixing of the
dower. God is all knowing and
wise. 25 If any of you cannot
afford to marry a free believing
woman let him marry one of his
believing maids whom he
possesses. God best knows your
faith. You are one of another. So
marry them with their owner’s
permission, and give them their
dower according to what is fair,
neither committing fornication
nor taking secret paramours. And
if, after they are married, they
commit adultery they shall have
half the punishment prescribed
for a free woman. This is for
those of you who fear lest he
should fall into sin. But that it is
better for you to practise self
restraint. God is most forgiving
and merciful.26 God wishes to explain things
to you and guide you to the ways
of those who have gone before
you and to turn to you in mercy.
God is all knowing and all wise.27 He wishes to turn towards you
in mercy, but those who follow
their own passions want you to
drift far away from the right
path. 28 God wishes to lighten
your burdens, for, man has been
created weak.29 Believers, do not wrongfully
consume each other’s wealth,
but trade with it by mutual
consent. Do not kill one another,
for God is most merciful to you.30 If anyone does these things
through transgression and
injustice, We shall cast him into
the Fire; and that is easy for God.31 If you shun the great sins you
have been forbidden, We shall
cancel out your minor misdeeds
and admit you to a place of
honour. 32 Do not covet the
bounties which God has
bestowed more abundantly on
some of you than on others. Men
shall be rewarded according to
their deeds, and women shall be
rewarded according to their
deeds. You should rather ask
God for His bounty. God has
knowledge of all things. 33 We
have appointed heirs for
everything that parents and close
relatives leave behind. As for
those with whom you have
entered into agreements, let them,
too, have their due. God is
witness to all things.34 Men are protectors of
women, because God has made
some of them excel others and
because they spend their wealth
on them. So virtuous women are
obedient and guard in the
husband’s absence what God
4:26 Al-Nisa’ 60
would have them guard. As for
those from whom you apprehend
infidelity, admonish them, then
refuse to share their beds, and
finally hit them [lightly].a Then
if they obey you, take no further
action against them. For God is
High, Great. 35 If you fear any
breach between a man and his
wife, appoint one arbiter from
his family and one arbiter from
her family. If they both want to
set things right, God will bring
about a reconciliation between
them: He is all knowing and all
aware.36 Worship God: and do not
associate partners with Him. Be
good to your parents, to relatives,
to orphans, to the needy, and the
neighbour who is a kinsman, and
the neighbour who is not related
to you and your companions and
the wayfarers and those whom
you rightfully possess. God does
not like arrogant, boastful people,37 who are miserly and enjoin
others to be the same and conceal
the riches which God has given
them of His bounty. We
have prepared a humiliating
punishment for those who deny
the truth. 38 And [God does not
like] those who spend their
wealth for the sake of ostentation,
who do not believe in God or the
Last Day. Whoever has Satan as
his companion has an evil
companion. 39 What harm could
befall them if they believed in
God and the Last Day, and spent
out of what God bestowed on
them? God knows them well.40 God does not wrong anyone
by as much as a grain’s weight.
If there be a good deed, He will
repay twofold, and will bestow
out of His own bounty an
immense reward.41 What will they do when We
bring a witness from each
community and bring you as a
witness against these people?42 On that Day, those who were
bent on denying the truth and
disobeyed the Messenger will
wish that the earth were made
61 Women 4:42
a This signifies a symbolic act, as
the Prophet forbade the beating of
woman saying, ‘Never beat God’s
creation’.
level above them. They will not
be able to hide anything
from God. 43 Believers, do not
approach your prayers when you
are drunk, until you understand
what you say, nor when you are
in a state of impurity, —except
when you are on a journey—till
you have bathed. And if you are
ill, or on a journey or have
relieved yourselves or when you
have consorted with women and
you cannot find any water, then
find some clean sand and wipe
your face and your hands with it.
God is gracious and forgiving.44 Do you not know of those
who were in possession of a
portion of the Book? They buy
up error and want you to lose
your way. 45 God is quite aware
as to who your enemies are; God
suffices as a patron, and God
suffices as a supporter. 46 Some
Jews take words out of their
context and say, ‘We have heard,
but we disobey,’ or ‘Hear without
listening.’ And they say ‘Look at
us,’ twisting the phrase with their
tongues so as to disparage
religion. But if they had said,
‘We hear and we obey,’ and
‘Listen to us and look at us with
favour,’ that would have been
better and more proper for them.
God has rejected them for their
defiance so that they shall not
believe, except a few of them.47 O People of the Book,
believe in what We have sent
down, fulfilling [the predictions]
that is with you, before We
destroy [your sense of] direction,
so as to confound or reject you,
as We rejected those who broke
the Sabbath: God’s command is
always carried out. 48 God will
not forgive anyone for
associating something with Him,
while He will forgive whoever
He wishes for anything besides
that. Whoever ascribes partners
to God is guilty of a monstrous
sin. 49 Have you not seen those
who consider themselves pure?
It is indeed God who purifies
whoever He pleases and none
shall be wronged by as much as
a hair’s breadth. 50 See how they
attribute their own lying
inventions to God. This is in
itself a flagrant sin!
4:43 Al-Nisa’ 62
51 Have you not seen those
who were in possession of a
portion of the Book? They
believe in idols and devils. They
say of those who deny the truth,
‘They are more rightly guided
than the believers.’ 52 Those are
the ones God has rejected: you
will not find anyone to help
those God has rejected. 53 Have
they a share in God’s kingdom?
If they did, they would not give
others so much as the groove of
a date stone. 54 Do they envy
others because of what God has
given them out of His bounty?
We granted the House of
Abraham the Book and wisdom
and We granted them a great
kingdom. 55 Some of them
believed in it and some held
back from it. Hell will suffice as
a blazing Fire. 56 We shall send
those who reject Our revelations
to the Fire. When their skins are
burnt up, We shall replace them
with new ones so that they may
continue to taste the punishment.
God is mighty and wise. 57 As
for those who believe and do
good works, We shall make them
enter Gardens through which
rivers flow, to dwell therein
forever; therein they shall have
pure spouses, and We shall admit
them into a dense shade.58 God commands you to hand
back your trusts to their rightful
owners, and when you judge
between people, to judge with
fairness. God’s instructions to
you are excellent. God hears and
sees all things. 59 Believers, obey
God and obey the Messenger
and those who have been
entrusted with authority among
you. If you are in dispute over
any matter, refer it to God and
the Messenger, if you truly
believe in God and the Last Day:
this is best, and best in the end.60 Have you not seen those who
profess to believe in what has
been revealed to you and [to
other prophets] before you? They
seek the judgement of evil
people, although they were
commanded not to obey them.
And Satan wants to lead them
far astray. 61 When they are told,
‘Come to what God has sent
down and to the Messenger,’ you
63 Women 4:61
see the hypocrites turn away
from you. 62 How will it be when
an affliction befalls them because
of what they themselves have
done? They will come to you,
swearing by God, saying that
they were seeking nothing but
goodwill and conciliation. 63 But
God knows all that is in their
hearts; so ignore what they say,
admonish them and speak to
them in such terms as will address
their minds.64 All the messengers We sent
were meant to be obeyed by
God’s leave. If they had come to
you and sought forgiveness from
God whenever they wronged
themselves, and the Messenger
had prayed for forgiveness for
them, they would have found
that God is ever-forgiving and
merciful. 65 By your Lord, they
will not be true believers until
they seek your arbitration in their
disputes and find within
themselves no doubt about what
you decide and accept it
wholeheartedly. 66 If We had
commanded them, ‘Lay down
your lives or leave your
dwellings,’ they would have not
done it, save a few of them. If
they had done what they were
instructed to do, it would have
been better for them, as well as
more strengthening [for their
faith], 67 and We would have
given them a great reward of Our
own, 68 and guided them to a
straight path. 69 Whoever obeys
God and the Messenger will be
among those He has blessed: the
messengers, the truthful, the
witnesses, and the righteous.
What excellent companions these
are! 70 That is God’s favour.
Sufficient is God’s infinite
knowledge.71 You who believe, take your
precautions and then go forth in
small groups or go forth all
together. 72 Among you are some
who lag behind and if you
encounter a setback, they say,
‘God has been gracious to me; I
was not present with them.’ 73 But
if, by God’s grace, good fortune
should be your lot, they will say,
‘If only I had been with them I
should have achieved a great
success,’ as if no affection had
4:62 Al-Nisa’ 64
existed between you and them.74 Let those who would exchange
the life of this world for the
Hereafter, fight for the cause of
God;a whoever fights for the
cause of God, whether he is slain
or is victorious, to him We shall
give a great reward. 75 And how
should you not fight for the
cause of God, and for the helpless
old men, women, and children
who say, ‘Deliver us, Lord, from
this city of wrongdoers, grant us
a protector out of Your grace and
grant us a supporter out of Your
grace?’ 76 The believers fight for
the cause of God, while those
who reject faith fight for Satan.
Then fight the allies of Satan:
Satan’s scheming is truly weak.77 Have you not seen those to
whom it was said, ‘Restrain your
hands, say your prayers and pay
the prescribed alms?’ And when
they have been ordered to fight,
some of them have felt afraid of
human beings just as they should
be afraid of God, or they are
even more afraid. They say, ‘Our
Lord, why have You ordered us
to fight? If You would only
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
postpone it for a little while
longer!’ Say, ‘The benefits of
this world are negligible and the
Hereafter will be better for one
who fears God; and you shall not
be wronged in the slightest.78 Wherever you may be, death
will overtake you, even if you be
in strongly built towers.’ If some
good befalls them, they say, ‘This
is from God,’ and if ill befalls
them, they say, ‘This is from
you.’ Tell them, ‘All is from
God.’ But what is wrong with
these people that they fail
to understand anything?79 Whatever good befalls you, it
is from God: and whatever ill
befalls you is from yourself. We
have sent you forth as a
messenger to mankind; and God
suffices as a witness.80 He who obeys the Messenger
obeys God. As for those who
turn away, know that We have
not sent you to be their keeper.81 They say: ‘We obey you,’ but
as soon as they leave you, a
65 Women 4:81
group of them plan together by
night against what you say. God
records whatever they scheme.
So ignore them, and put your
trust in God. God is sufficient as
a trustee. 82 Do they not ponder
on the Quran? If it had been from
anyone other than God, they
would have found much
inconsistency in it. 83 When they
hear any news, whether of peace
or of something fearful, they
spread it about; whereas if they
referred it to the Messenger and
to the men in charge, those of
them who would have
investigated it and could have
arrived at the truth of the matter.
But for God’s grace and mercy,
all but a few of you would have
followed Satan.84 So fight for the cause of
God. You are responsible only
for yourself. Urge on the
believers. God may fend off the
power [violence] of those who
deny the truth, for He is stronger
in might and stronger in inflicting
punishment. 85 Whoever rallies
to a good cause shall have a
share in its blessing; and whoever
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
rallies to an evil cause shall be
answerable for his part in it: for,
indeed, God watches over
everything. 86 When you are
greeted by anyone, respond with
a better greeting or at least return
it; God takes account of all
things. 87 He is God: there is no
deity other than Him. He will
gather you all together on the
Day of Resurrection, there is no
doubt about it. Whose word can
be truer than God’s?88 How is it that you are divided
into two groups regarding the
hypocrites, when God Himself
cast them back [to disbelief]
because of their misdeeds? Do
you seek to guide those whom
God allows to go astray? You
cannot guide those whom God
allows to go astray. 89 They want
you to deny the Truth, so that
you may become all alike. Do
not take them as your allies until
they emigrate in the way of
God. If they turn back (to
enmity), seize them and kill
them a wherever you may
4:82 Al-Nisa’ 66
find them; and take no friend or
helper from among them. 90 But
make an exception of those who
seek refuge with people with
whom you have a treaty, or who
come over to you because their
hearts forbid them to fight against
you or against their own people.
Had God pleased, He would
have given them power over
you, so that they would have
taken up arms against you.
Therefore, if they keep away
from you and cease their hostility
and propose peace to you, God
does not allow you to harm
them. 91 You will find others
who wish to be safe from you,
and from their own people, yet
whenever they find an
opportunity of inflicting harm,
they plunge into it. So if they
neither withdraw, nor offer you
peace, nor restrain themselves
from fighting you, seize and kill
them wherever you encounter
them. Over such people We have
given you clear authority.92 No believer should kill
another believer, unless it be by
mistake. Anyone who kills a
believer by mistake should free a
believing slave and pay blood
money to the victim’s relatives
unless they forego it as an act of
charity. If the victim belongs to
a people at war with you, but is
a believer, then the compensation
is to free a believing slave. If he
belongs to a people with whom
you have a treaty, then blood-
money should be handed over to
his relatives and a believing slave
set free. Anyone who lacks the
means must fast for two
consecutive months. Such is the
penance imposed by God. God
is all knowing and wise. 93 If
anyone kills a believer
deliberately, his reward shall be
eternal Hell. God will condemn
him and reject him, and prepare
for him a terrible punishment.94 Believers, when you go forth
in the cause of God, make due
investigation and do not say to
those who offer you the greeting
of peace, ‘You are no believer!’
because you seek the good things
of this life. With God there are
good things in plenty. You
yourself were in the same
67 Women 4:94
position before, but God
conferred His special favour on
you. Therefore, take care to
investigate. Surely God is well-
aware of what you do. 95 Those
believers who stay behind—apart
from those forced by necessity—
are not equal to those who strive
hard in God’s cause with their
possessions and their persons.
God has given those who strive
with their goods and their persons
a higher rank than those who
stayed behind. God has promised
all a good reward; but far greater
is the recompense of those who
strive for Him—96 high ranks
conferred by Him as well as
forgiveness and mercy. God is
forgiving and merciful.97 When the angels take the
souls of those who have wronged
themselves, they will ask, ‘What
was wrong with you?’ They will
answer, ‘We were too weak on
earth.’ The angels will say, ‘Was
God’s earth not spacious enough
for you to have migrated to some
other place?’ These are the ones
whose abode shall be Hell, an
evil destination—98 except such
weak ones among men, women
and children, as are incapable of
adopting any plan or of finding
any way out. 99 God may well
pardon them. God is ever-
pardoning and ever forgiving.100 Whoever emigrates for the
cause of God will find many
places of refuge in the land and
plentiful provision. Those who
leave home for the cause of God
and His Messenger; but is then
overtaken by death, shall be
recompensed by God. God is
most forgiving and ever-merciful.101 When you [believers] are
travelling in the land, you will
not be blamed for shortening
your prayers, if you fear the
disbelievers may harm you. They
are your avowed enemies.102 When you are among the
believers and lead them in prayer,
let only part of them stand up
along with you, armed with their
weapons. After they have
prostrated themselves, let them
withdraw to the rear to stand
guard and then let another party,
who have not yet prayed, come
forward and pray with you. And
4:95 Al-Nisa’ 68
let them also be on their guard,
armed with their weapons. Those
who deny the truth want you to
be negligent of your arms and
your baggage, so that they may
fall upon you suddenly. It is no
offence for you to lay aside your
arms when overtaken by heavy
rain or illness, and always take
every precaution for defence.
God has prepared a humiliating
punishment for those who deny
the truth. 103 When you have
finished the prayer, remember
God while standing, and sitting,
and lying on your sides. When
you feel secure, say your prayers
in the prescribed form. Believers
are under the obligation to say
their prayers at the appointed
hours. 104 Do not relent in the
pursuit of the enemy. If you are
suffering hardships, they too are
suffering similar hardships, but
what you can hope for from
God, they cannot. God is all
knowing and wise.105 We have sent the Book
down to you with the truth so
that you may judge among
mankind by means of what God
has shown you. And do not be an
advocate for the treacherous.106 Ask God for forgiveness: He
is most forgiving and merciful.107 And do not plead on behalf of
those who are dishonest to
themselves. Surely God does not
love one who is treacherous and
sinful. 108 They feel ashamed
before men but do not feel
ashamed before God, despite His
being present with them when
they plot at night, uttering things
of which He does not approve;
and indeed God is fully aware of
what they do.109 You might argue on their
behalf in the life of this world:
but who will argue on their behalf
with God on the Day of
Resurrection and who will be
their defender? 110 Yet anyone
who does evil or wrongs his own
soul and then asks God for
forgiveness will find God
forgiving and merciful. 111 He
who commits sin does so against
his own soul. God is all knowing
and wise. 112 And anyone who
commits an offence or a sin, then
charges an innocent person with
69 Women 4:112
it, shall certainly bear the guilt
of a calumny and a manifest sin.113 If it were not for the grace of
God and His mercy to you, some
of them had resolved to lead you
astray but they lead astray no
one but themselves. Nor can
they do you any harm. God has
sent down to you the Book and
Wisdom and has taught you what
you did not know. God’s favour
to you has been great indeed.114 There is no good in most of
their secret talk, except in the
case of those who enjoin charity
and kindness, or reconciliation
between people. If anyone does
that, seeking the pleasure of God,
We will give him an immense
reward. 115 But if anyone opposes
the Messenger after his guidance
has become clear to him, and
follows a path other than that of
the faithful, We shall let him
pursue his chosen path and shall
cast him into Hell: an evil
destination.116 Surely, God will not forgive
the ascribing of partners to Him.
He forgives whoever He will for
anything other than that.
Whoever ascribes partners to
God has strayed far indeed.117 They [the polytheists] call
upon female deities, and they
invoke none but Satan, the
rebellious one, 118 whom God
has rejected. He said [to God], ‘I
will assuredly take a number of
Your servants, 119 and shall lead
them astray, and fill them with
vain desires and order them to
slit the ears of cattle. I shall order
them to tamper with God’s
creation. Whoever chooses Satan
as a patron instead of God is
utterly ruined: 120 he holds out
promises to them, and fills them
with vain desires: but Satan’s
promises are nothing but
delusion. 121 Hell shall be their
home: they shall find no refuge
from it. 122 As for those who
believe and do good works. We
shall admit them to Gardens
through which rivers flow; wherein
they will abide forever. This is a
promise from God; and whose
word could be truer than God’s?123 It is not your desires, nor
the desires of the People of the
Book, that shall prevail. Anyone
4:113 Al-Nisa’ 70
who commits evil will be
rewarded accordingly. He will
not find any protector or patron
for himself besides God.124 Anyone who performs good
deeds, whether it be a man or
woman, provided that he is a
believer, shall enter Paradise.
No one shall suffer the least
injustice. 125 Who is better in
faith than one who submits
himself wholly to God, acts
righteously, and follows the
religion of Abraham, the upright
in faith, whom God chose for a
friend? 126 To God belongs all
that the heavens and earth
contain. God has knowledge of
all things.127 They consult you
concerning women. Say, ‘God
has given you directions
concerning them. The
commandment given to you in
the Book concerns the orphan
girls to whom you do not give
what is prescribed for them, and
whom you nevertheless desire to
marry, and about helpless
children. He has instructed you
to deal justly with orphans. God
has knowledge of all the good
you do. 128 If a woman fears ill-
treatment or indifference on the
part of her husband, it shall be
no offence for her to seek a
reconciliation, for reconciliation
is best. But people are prone to
selfish greed. If you do good and
fear Him, surely God is aware of
what you do. 129 You will never
be able to treat your wives with
equal fairness, however much
you may desire to do so, but do
not ignore one wife altogether,
leaving her suspended [between
marriage and divorce]. And if
you make amends and act
righteously, surely God is most
forgiving and merciful. 130 If they
decide to separate, God will
compensate both out of His
own abundance: God is bountiful
and wise.131 All that the heavens and
the earth contain belongs to God.
We have commanded those who
were given the Scripture before
you, and We command you to
fear God. If you deny Him, know
that all that the heavens and the
earth contain belongs to God.
71 Women 4:131
God is self-sufficient and
praiseworthy. 132 All that the
heavens and the earth contain
belongs to God; and none is as
worthy of trust as God. 133 If He
wanted, He could remove you
altogether and replace you with
other people: He has the full
power to do so. 134 If one desires
the rewards of this world [let
him remember that] with God
are the rewards of [both] this
world and the life to come:
and God is indeed all hearing,
all seeing.135 Believers, be strict in
upholding justice and bear
witness for the sake of God, even
though it be against yourselves,
your parents, or your kindred.
Be they rich or poor, God knows
better about them both. Do not,
then, follow your own desires,
lest you swerve from justice. If
you conceal the truth or evade it,
then remember that God is well
aware of all that you do.136 Believers, believe in God
and His Messenger and in the
Scripture He sent down to His
Messenger, as well as what He
sent down before. He who denies
God, His angels, His Scriptures,
His messengers and the Last Day
has surely gone far astray. 137 As
for those who come to believe,
and then deny the truth, and
again come to believe, and again
deny the truth, and thereafter
grow stubborn in their denial of
the truth—God will never forgive
them, nor will He guide them.138 Warn the hypocrites that for
them there is a painful
punishment. 139 As for those who
take the deniers of the truth for
their allies rather than the
believers—do they seek honour
in their company? Surely all
honour belongs to God.140 He has instructed you in
the Book that, when you hear
people deny or ridicule God’s
revelations, you must not sit
with them unless they engage in
other talk, or else you yourselves
shall become like them. God
will gather all the hypocrites and
those who deny the truth together
in Hell. 141 The hypocrites wait
to see what happens to you and,
if God grants you a victory, they
4:132 Al-Nisa’ 72
say, ‘Were we not on your side?’
And if those who deny the truth
have a share of it [victory] they
say to them, ‘Did we not help
you win, and protect you from
the believers?’ God will judge
between you [all] on
Resurrection Day. And never will
God allow those who deny the
truth to harm the believers.142 The hypocrites seek to
outwit God—but it is He who
outwits them. And when they
stand up for prayer, they do so
reluctantly and to be seen by
others, and they hardly remember
God at all. 143 They vacillate
between the two, belonging
neither to one side nor the other.
But for him whom God allows to
go astray you can never find the
way for him. 144 Do not take
deniers of the truth [who are at
war with you] for your allies in
preference to believers. Would
you give God a clear proof
against yourselves? 145 The
hypocrites shall surely be in the
lowest depth of the Fire; and you
will find no helper for them.146 But those who repent and
mend their ways, who hold fast
to God and are sincere in their
worship of God will be joined
with the believers; and God will
bestow a great reward upon the
believers. 147 Why should God
punish you, if you render thanks
to Him and believe in Him? God
is appreciative and aware.148 God does not love the
utterance of evil words except in
the case of someone who has
been wronged. God hears all and
knows all. 149 Whether you reveal
any good or hide it, or pardon
any evil, God is forgiving and all
powerful. 150 Those who deny
God and His messengers and
seek to make a distinction
between God and His messengers
and say, ‘We believe in some
messengers and disbelieve in
others’, and desire to adopt a
position in between. 151 Those
indeed are they who are denying
the truth beyond doubt, and We
have prepared a humiliating
punishment for the deniers. 152 To
those who believe in God and
His messengers, and make no
distinction between any of them,
73 Women 4:152
to those—We shall surely give
them their rewards. God is most
forgiving and merciful.153 The People of the Book ask
you to bring down for them a
book from heaven. Of Moses
they demanded a greater thing
than that. They said to him:
‘Show us God face to face.’ A
thunderbolt struck them for their
wickedness. After that, they took
to worshipping the [golden] calf,
after all evidence of the truth had
come to them! Yet We pardoned
even that and bestowed on Moses
clear authority. 154 And We raised
above them the Mount, while
making a covenant with them,
and We said to them. ‘Enter the
gate humbly,’ and We also
commanded them, ‘Transgress
not in the matter of the Sabbath.’
We took from them a firm
covenant.155 But they broke their
covenant; and they rejected the
signs of God; and put the
prophets to death without
justification, and said, ‘Our
hearts are sealed.’ It is God who
has sealed their hearts, on
account of their denial of the
truth. Except for a few of them,
they have no faith. 156 They
denied the truth and uttered a
monstrous slander against Mary.157 They declared, ‘We have put
to death the Messiah, Jesus, son
of Mary, the Messenger of God.’
They did not kill him, nor did
they crucify him, but it only
seemed to them [as if it had been
so]. And those who differ in this
matter are in doubt concerning it.
They have no definite knowledge
about it, but only follow mere
conjecture. But they certainly
did not kill him. 158 God raised
him towards Himself. God is
almighty and wise.159 There is none among the
People of the Book but will
believe in it before his death;
and on the Day of Resurrection
he shall be a witness against them.160 Because of the wrongdoings
of the Jews, We forbade them
certain good things that had been
allowed to them before; for
having frequently debarred
others from God’s path; 161 for
taking usury, when they had been
4:153 Al-Nisa’ 74
forbidden to do so. And because
of their devouring people’s
wealth wrongfully. We have
prepared a painful punishment
for those of them who [continue
to] deny the truth. 162 But to
those of them, who are firmly
grounded in knowledge, and the
believers, who truly believe in
what is revealed to you, and what
was revealed before you. To those
who pray regularly and pay the
zakat [prescribed alms] and
believe in God and the Last Day,
We will surely give a great reward.163 We have sent revelation to
you [Prophet] as We did to Noah
and the prophets who came after
him, to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac,
Jacob, and the Tribes, to Jesus,
Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon
and David, to whom We gave the
Psalms. 164 We have told you
about some messengers sent
previously, while We have not
yet told you about others. God
spoke to Moses directly. 165 They
were messengers, bearing good
news and giving warning, so that
mankind would have no excuse
before God, after the coming of
the messengers. God is mighty,
wise.a
166 But God bears witness to
what He has sent down to you.
He has sent it down with His
knowledge. The angels too bear
witness. And God suffices as a
witness. 167 Those who are bent
on denying the truth and on
turning others away from the
path of God have strayed far
from the right path. 168 God will
not forgive those who deny the
truth and act wrongfully, nor
will He guide them, 169 to any
path other than the path of Hell,
wherein they shall abide forever.
That is easy enough for God.170 Mankind! The Messenger has
brought you the truth from your
75 Women 4:170
a God created man, and then He
created Paradise and Hell. Man was
later settled on the earth. Here man
has freedom to do as he wishes. But
this freedom is not forever. It is
temporary and meant for his trial. It is
so that good and bad may be
distinguished from one another. God
is watching those who, despite being
granted freedom, can adopt realistic
attitudes, and surrender themselves to
the will of God.
Lord, so believe for your own
good. And if you deny the truth,
know that to God belongs all that
the heavens and the earth contain.
God is all knowing and wise.171 People of the Book! Do not
go to extremes in your religion.
Say nothing but the truth about
God. The Christ Jesus, son of
Mary, was only a messenger of
God and His word, conveyed to
Mary, a spirit from Him. So
believe in God and His
messengers and do not say:
‘There are three [gods].’ Desist,
it will be better for you. Indeed,
God is the one and only God. His
Holiness is far above having a
son. To Him belongs whatever is
in the heavens and whatever is on
the earth. And God is sufficient
as a guardian. 172 Surely, the
Messiah would never disdain to
be accounted a servant of God.
Nor would the angels who are
nearest to Him. If any do disdain
to worship Him, and grow
arrogant, He will in any case
gather them all before Him.173 Those who believe and do
good works will be fully
recompensed by Him. And He
will give them yet more out of
His bounty; and as for those who
were disdainful and proud, He
will punish them with a painful
punishment. And they will not
find anyone to help or protect
them against God. 174 Men, you
have received clear evidence
from your Lord. We have sent
down a clear light to you.175 As for those who believe in
God and hold fast to Him, He
will admit them to His mercy
and His grace; He will guide
them towards Him on a straight
path. 176 They ask you for
instruction. Say, ‘God instructs
you concerning the indirect heirs.
If a person dies childless but has
a sister, she receives half of what
he leaves, and he is her heir if
she dies childless. If there are
two sisters, they receive two-
thirds of what he leaves. If there
are brothers and sisters, the share
of each male shall be that of two
females. God makes things clear
to you, so that you will not go
astray. God has knowledge of
all things.’
4:171 Al-Nisa’ 76
5 . T H E TA B L E ( AL-MA’ I D A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Believers, fulfill your
obligations. All livestock is
lawful for you, other than that
which is hereby announced to
you. You are forbidden to kill
game while you are on a
pilgrimage—God commands
what He will. 2 Believers, violate
neither the sanctity of God’s
signs, the Sacred Month, the
sacrificial animals, the animals
wearing garlands [indicating they
are to be sacrificed] nor those on
their way to the Sacred House
seeking the bounty and pleasure
of their Lord. When, on
completion of your pilgrimage,
you take off the garb of the
pilgrim, you may hunt. Do not
let the enmity of those who
barred you from the Sacred
Mosque lead you into sin. Help
one another in goodness and in
piety. Do not help one another in
sin and transgression. Fear God!
God is severe in punishment.3 You are forbidden carrion,
blood and pork; and any flesh
over which the name of any
other than God is invoked; and
any creature which has been
strangled, or killed by a blow or
in a fall, or has been gored to
death or half-eaten by a wild
animal, saving that which you
make lawful [by slaughtering
properly while it was still alive]
and what has been slaughtered at
an altar. You are forbidden to
make the division of [meat] by
means of divining arrows: that is
sinful conduct. Those who deny
the truth have this day despaired
of ever harming your religion.
So do not fear them. Fear Me.
Today I have completed your
religion for you and completed
My blessing upon you. I have
chosen for you Islam as your
religion. But if anyone is forced
by hunger to eat something which
is forbidden, not intending to
commit a sin, he will find God
forgiving and merciful.
(77)
5:4 Al-Ma’idah 78
4 If they ask you what has been
made lawful for them, say, ‘All
good things have been made
lawful for you;’ and what you
have taught your birds and beasts
of prey to catch, training them as
God has taught you. So eat what
they catch for you, but first
pronounce God’s name over it.
Fear God, for God is swift in
taking account. 5 Today, all good
things have been made lawful to
you. The food of the People of
the Book is lawful to you, and
your food is lawful to them. The
chaste believing women and the
chaste women of the people who
were given the Book before you,
are lawful to you, provided that
you give them their dowers, and
marry them, neither committing
fornication nor taking them as
mistresses. The deeds of anyone
who rejects the faith will come
to nothing, and in the Hereafter
he will be among the losers.6 Believers, when you rise to
pray, wash your faces and your
hands up to the elbows and wipe
your heads and [wash] your feet
up to the ankles. If you are in a
state of impurity, take a full bath.
But if you are sick or on a
journey or when you have just
relieved yourselves, or you have
consorted with your spouses, you
can find no water, take some
clean sand and rub your faces
and hands with it. God does not
wish to place any burden on
you; He only wishes to purify
you and perfect His favour to
you, in order that you may be
grateful.7 Remember God’s favour to
you, and the covenant, which He
made with you when you said,
‘We hear and we obey.’ Fear
God. God has full knowledge of
the innermost thoughts of men.8 Believers, be steadfast in the
cause of God and bear witness
with justice. Do not let your
enmity for others turn you away
from justice. Deal justly; that is
nearer to being God-fearing. Fear
God. God is aware of all that you
do. 9 God has promised those
who believe and do good deeds
forgiveness and a great reward;10 but those who deny the truth
and deny Our signs are destined
for Hell. 11 Believers, remember
the blessings which God
bestowed upon you when a
certain people were about to lay
hands on you and He held back
their hands from you. Have fear
of God and in God let the
believers place their trust.12 God made a covenant with
the Children of Israel; and raised
among them twelve leaders. God
said, ‘Surely, I am with you. If
you attend to your prayers and
pay the alms and believe in My
messengers and support them,
and give a generous loan to God,
I will certainly forgive you your
sins and admit you into Gardens
through which rivers flow.
Whoever among you denies the
truth after this shall go astray
from the straight path.’ 13 Since
they broke their solemn pledge,
We laid on them Our curse and
hardened their hearts. They
distorted the meaning of the
revealed words, taking them out
of their context, and forgot much
of what they were enjoined. You
will constantly discover treachery
on their part, except for a few of
79 The Table 5:17
them. But pardon them, and bear
with them; truly, God loves the
doers of good.14 We also made a covenant
with those who say, ‘We are
Christians.’ But they too have
forgotten much of what they
were enjoined. So, We have put
enmity and hatred between them
till the Day of Judgement; and
soon God will declare to them
what they have been doing.15 People of the Book! Our
Messenger has come to make
clear to you much of what you
have hidden of the Scriptures
and to forgive you much. A light
has now come to you from God
and a clear Book, 16 whereby
God guides to the ways of peace
all who seek His good pleasure,
bringing them from darkness to
the light, by His will, and guiding
them to a straight path. 17 In
blasphemy indeed are those who
say, ‘God is Christ, the son of
Mary.’ Say, ‘Who then could
prevent God if He so willed
from destroying Christ, son of
Mary, and his mother and
everyone on earth? The kingdom
of the heavens and the earth and
everything between them belong
to God. He creates what He will
and God has power over all things.’18 The Jews and the Christians
say, ‘We are the children of God
and His beloved ones.’ Say,
‘Then why does He punish you
for your sins? Indeed, you are
but human beings among those
He has created. He forgives
whom He pleases and punishes
whom He pleases. The kingdom
of the heavens and the earth and
all that is between them, belong
to God and all shall return to
Him.’ 19 People of the Book, Our
Messenger has come to you to
make things clear to you after an
interval between the messengers,
lest you say, ‘No bearer of glad
tidings and no warner has come
to us.’ So a bearer of glad tidings
and a warner has indeed come to
you. God has the power to do
all things.20 Remember when Moses said
to his people, ‘O my people!
Remember God’s favour to you,
He has raised up prophets among
you, made you kings, and granted
you [favours] such as He has not
granted to anyone else in the
world. 21 O my people! Enter the
holy land which God has
assigned for you. Do not turn
back, or you will be the losers.’22 They said, ‘Moses, in that land
there is a powerful people. Never
shall we enter it until they leave
it: if they leave, then we shall
certainly enter it.’ 23 Thereupon
two God-fearing men whom God
had blessed said, ‘Go into them
through the gate—for as soon as
you enter, you shall surely be
victorious! Put your trust in God
if you are true believers.’ 24 They
said, ‘We will never enter it,
Moses, as long as they are there.
Go, you and your Lord, and
fight, and we will stay here.’25 Moses supplicated, ‘Lord, I
have power over none but myself
and my brother; so separate us
from the disobedient people.’26 God said, ‘The land is
forbidden to them for forty years,
while they wander around the
earth, bewildered; do not grieve
over these wicked people.’27 Relate to them, the true story
5:18 Al-Ma’idah 80
of the two sons of Adam. When
they both presented an offering,
it was accepted from one of
them and not from the other. The
latter said, ‘I shall kill you!’ The
former said, ‘God accepts
[things] only from the righteous.28 If you raise your hand to kill
me, I will not raise mine to kill
you. I fear God, the Lord of the
Universe, 29 and I want you to
bear your sins against me as well
as your own sins and become an
inhabitant of the Fire. Such is
the reward of the wrongdoers.’30 His lower self persuaded
him to kill his brother, and he
killed him and he became one of
the lost. 31 Then God sent a raven,
which scratched the earth, so
that He might show him how to
hide the corpse of his brother.
‘Alas!’ he cried, ‘Am I not able
even to be like this raven, so that
I may hide the corpse of my
brother?’ And he repented.32 That was why We laid it
down for the Children of Israel
that whoever killed a human
being—except as a punishment
for murder or for spreading
corruption in the land— shall be
regarded as having killed all
mankind, and that whoever saved
a human life shall be regarded as
having saved all mankind. Our
messengers came to them with
clear signs, but many of them
continued to commit excesses in
the land. 33 Those that make war
against God and His Messenger
and spread disorder in the land
shall be put to death or crucified
or have their hands and feet cut
off on alternate sides, or be
banished from the country. They
shall be disgraced in this world,
and then severely punished in
the Hereafter, 34 except for those
who repent before you gain
power over them: for you must
know that God is forgiving and
merciful.35 Believers, fear God and seek
ways to come closer to Him and
strive for His cause, so that you
may prosper. 36 As for those who
reject Faith, if they had
everything on earth, and twice as
much again and offered it to
ransom themselves from the
torment of the Day of
81 The Table 5:36
Resurrection, it shall not be
accepted from them—they will
have a painful punishment.37 They will want to get out of
the Fire but they will be unable
to do so: theirs shall be a lasting
punishment. 38 Cut off the hands
of thieves, whether they are male
or female, as a [deterrent]
punishment from God for what
they have done. God is almighty
and wise. 39 But God will surely
turn in mercy to him who repents
after his transgression and
reforms. Surely, God is most
forgiving and ever merciful.40 Do you not know that the
kingdom of the heavens and
earth belongs to God? He
punishes whom He will and
forgives whom He pleases. God
has power over all things.41 Messenger, do not be grieved
by those who vie with one
another in denying the truth;
those who say with their tongues,
‘We believe,’ but have no faith
in their hearts; from among the
Jews also, there are those who
listen eagerly to any lies. They
listen to you to convey to others
[religious leaders] who do not
come to you [out of pride and
conceit]. They [these leaders]
take words out of their context
and say, ‘If this be given to you,
receive it, but if not, then
beware!’ If anyone’s trial is
intended by God, you cannot in
the least prevail against God on
his behalf. Those whose hearts
God does not intend to purify
shall be subjected to disgrace in
this world and a severe
punishment in the Hereafter.42 They listen eagerly to
falsehood, and devour forbidden
things voraciously. If they come
to you, then judge between them
or avoid them. If you avoid
them, they can in no way harm
you, but if you do judge, judge
them with fairness: God loves
those that deal justly. 43 But why
do they come to you for
judgement when they have the
Torah, which enshrines God’s
own judgement? Yet, in spite of
that, they turn their backs; and
certainly they will not believe.44 We have revealed the Torah,
in which there is guidance and
5:37 Al-Ma’idah 82
light. By it the prophets who
were obedient to Us judged the
Jews, and so did the rabbis and
the priests, according to God’s
Book which had been entrusted
to their care; and to which they
were witnesses. Have no fear of
man; fear Me, and do not sell My
revelations for a paltry sum.
Those who do not judge by what
God has sent down are deniers
of truth. 45 We prescribed for
them in [the Torah]: a life for a
life, an eye for an eye, a nose for
a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth
for a tooth, and a wound for a
wound. But, if anyone forgoes it,
this shall be for him an expiation.
Those who do not judge by what
God has sent down are
wrongdoers! 46 We caused Jesus,
son of Mary to follow in their
footsteps, fulfilling what had
been revealed before him in the
Torah. We gave him the Gospel,
which contained guidance and
light, fulfilling what was revealed
before it in the Torah: a guide
and an admonition to the God-
fearing. 47 Therefore, let those
who follow the Gospel judge
according to what God has
revealed in it. Those who do not
judge by what God has sent
down are rebellious.48 We have sent down the Book
to you with the truth, fulfilling [the
predictions] revealed in the previous
scriptures and determining what is
true therein, and as a guardian over
it. Judge, therefore, between them
by what God has revealed, and do
not follow their vain desires turning
away from the truth that has come
to you. To every one of you We
have ordained a law and a way, and
had God so willed, He would have
made you all a single community,
but He did not so will, in order that
He might try you by what He has
given you. Vie, then, with one
another in doing good works; to
God you shall all return; then He
will make clear to you about what
you have been disputing.49 Judge between them by what
God has sent down and do not be
led by their desires. Beware of
them lest they turn you away
from a part of that what God has
revealed to you. If they reject
your judgement, know that God
83 The Table 5:49
intends to punish them for the
sins they have committed. Indeed
a large number of the people are
disobedient. 50 Is it pagan laws
that they wish to be judged by?
Who is a better judge than God
for men whose faith is firm?51 Believers, do not take the
Jews and Christians as allies.
They are allies with one another.
Whoever of you takes them as an
ally shall become one of them.
God does not guide the
wrongdoers. 52 You will see those
whose minds are diseased
hastening towards them, saying,
‘We fear lest a misfortune befall
us.’ But God may well bring
about victory or make a decision
which is favourable to you. Then
they will repent of the thoughts,
which they secretly harboured in
their hearts. 53 Then the believers
will say, ‘Are these the men who
swore their strongest oaths by
God, that they were with you?’
Their works will come to nothing
and they will lose all.54 Believers, if any among you
renounce the faith, God will
replace them by others who love a See note to 3:28.
Him and are loved by Him, who
will be kind and considerate
towards believers and firm and
unyielding towards those who
deny the truth. They will strive
hard for the cause of God and
will in no way take to heart the
reproaches of the fault finder.
Such is God’s bounty, which He
gives to anyone He wishes. God
is bountiful and all-knowing.55 Your helpers are only God and
His Messenger and the believers
who say their prayers and pay
the alms and bow down in
worship. 56 Those who ally
themsleves with God, His
Messenger, and the believers
must know that God’s party is
sure to triumph.57 Believers! Do not seek the
friendship of those who were
given the Book before you or the
disbelievers who ridicule your
religion and make a jest of it.a
Have fear of God, if you are true
believers. 58 When you call them
to prayer, they treat it as a jest
and a diversion. This is because
5:50 Al-Ma’idah 84
they are devoid of understanding.59 Say, ‘People of the Book! Do
you resent us only because we
believe in God and in what has
been revealed to us and to others
before, and because most of you
are disobedient?’ 60 Say, ‘Shall I
tell you who will receive a worse
reward from God? Those whom
God has rejected and with whom
He has been angry. They were
condemned as apes and swine
and those who worship the evil.a
These are in the worst plight and
farthest astray from the right
path.’61 When they come to you they
say, ‘We believe,’ but they come
[with the resolve] to deny the
truth and leave in the same state.
God knows best what they are
concealing. 62 You see many
among them vie with one another
in sin and transgression and
practice what is unlawful. It is
vile indeed what they have been
doing! 63 Why do their rabbis
and scholars not forbid them to
utter sinful words or to consume
what is unlawful? Their actions
are indeed vile.
64 The Jews say, ‘The hand of
God is tied up.’ May their own
hands be tied up and may they be
cursed for what they say. No
indeed! His hands are both
outstretched: He bestows as He
will. What is revealed to you
from your Lord will surely
increase in most of them their
obstinate rebellion and denial of
truth; and We have sown among
them enmity and hatred till the
Day of Resurrection. Whenever
they kindle the fire of war, God
puts it out. They spread evil in
the land, but God does not love
the evil-doers.65 If only the People of the
Book would believe and be
mindful of God, We would surely
pardon their sins and We would
surely admit them into the
Gardens of Bliss. 66 If they had
85 The Table 5:66
a It is not in a literal sense but has
a symbolic conotation, describing their
moral degradation. They were not
converted to such animals in physical
sense, but their character and
behaviour became like apes and swine.
observed the Torah and the
Gospel and what was revealed to
them from their Lord, they would
surely have been nourished from
above and from below. There are
some among them who are on
the right course; but there are
many among them who do
nothing but evil.67 O Messenger, deliver
whatever has been sent down to
you by your Lord. If you do not
do so, you will not have conveyed
His message and God will protect
you from the people. For God does
not guide those who deny the truth.68 Say, ‘People of the Book,
you have no ground to stand on
until you observe the Torah and
the Gospel and what is revealed
to you from your Lord.’ What is
revealed to you from your Lord
will surely increase many of them
in rebellion and in their denial of
the truth. But do not grieve for
those who deny the truth.69 Believers, Jews, Sabaeans and
Christians—whoever believes in
God and the Last Day and does
what is right—shall have nothing
to fear nor shall they grieve.
70 We made a covenant with
the Children of Israel and sent
forth messengers among them.
But whenever a messenger came
to them with a message that was
not to their liking, some they
accused of lying, while others
they put to death, 71 and they
imagined that no harm would
come to them; and so they
became blind and deaf [of heart].
God turned to them in mercy; yet
again many of them became blind
and deaf. God is fully aware of
their actions.72 Indeed, they are deniers of
the truth who say, ‘God is the
Christ, the son of Mary.’ For the
Christ himself said, ‘Children of
Israel, serve God, my Lord and
your Lord.’ If anyone associates
anything with God, God will
forbid him the Garden and the
Fire will be his home. The
wrongdoers shall have no
helpers. 73 They are deniers of
the truth who say, ‘God is one of
three.’ There is only One God. If
they do not desist from so saying,
a painful punishment is bound to
befall such of them as are bent
5:67 Al-Ma’idah 86
on denying the truth. 74 Why do
they not turn to God and ask for
His forgiveness? God is forgiving
and merciful. 75 Christ, son of
Mary, was no more than a
messenger. Many messengers
passed away before him. His
mother was a virtuous woman;
and they both ate food [like
other mortals]. See how We make
the signs clear to them! See how
they turn away! 76 Say, ‘Do you
worship something other than
God, that has no power to do you
harm or good? God alone is the
All Hearing and All Knowing.’77 Say, ‘People of the Book!
Do not go to extremes in your
religion and do not follow the
whims of those who went astray
before you—they caused many
to go astray and themselves
strayed away from the right path.’78 Those of the Children of
Israel who were bent on denying
the truth were cursed by David
and Jesus, the son of Mary. That
was because they disobeyed and
were given to transgression;79 they would not prevent one
another from doing the wrong
things they did. Evil indeed were
their deeds. 80 You see many
among them allying themselves
with those who deny the truth.
Evil is that which their souls
have sent on ahead for them.
They have incurred the wrath of
God and shall suffer eternal
punishment. 81 Had they believed
in God and the Prophet and what
was revealed to him, they would
not have taken those who deny
the truth as their allies, but many
of them are disobedient.82 You will find that the
bitterest in their enmity to the
faithful are the Jews and the
polytheists; the nearest in
affection to them are those who
say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is
because there are priests and
monks among them; and because
they are free from pride. 83 When
they listen to what has been sent
down to the Messenger, you see
their eyes overflowing with tears,
because of the Truth they
recognize. They say, ‘Our Lord,
we believe, so count us among
those who bear witness. 84 Why
should we not believe in God
87 The Table 5:84
and in the truth that has come down
to us? We yearn for our Lord to
admit us among the righteous.’85 And for their words God will
reward them with Gardens through
which rivers flow, wherein they shall
abide forever. That is the reward of
those who do good. 86 But those
who deny the truth and deny Our
signs will become the inmates of
Hell.87 Believers, do not forbid the
wholesome good things, which
God made lawful to you. Do not
transgress; God does not love
the transgressors. 88 Eat the
lawful and wholesome things,
which God has given you. Fear
God, in whom you believe.89 God will not call you to
account for your meaningless
oaths, but He will call you to
account for the oaths, which you
swear in earnest. The expiation
for a broken oath is the feeding
of ten needy men with such food
as you normally offer to your
own people; or the clothing of
ten needy men; or the freeing of
one slave. Anyone who lacks the
means shall fast for three days.
That is the expiation of your
breaking the oaths that you have
sworn. Do keep your oaths. Thus
God explains to you His
commandments, so that you may
be grateful.90 Believers, intoxicants and
gambling and [occult dedication
of] stones and divining arrows
are abominations devised by
Satan. Avoid them, so that you
may prosper. 91 Satan seeks to
sow enmity and hatred among
you by means of wine and
gambling, and to keep you from
the remembrance of God and
from your prayers. Will you not
then abstain? 92 Obey God and
obey the Messenger, and be ever
on your guard [against evil]. But
if you turn away, then know that
Our Messenger’s duty is only to
deliver the message clearly.93 Those who believe and do
good deeds will not be blamed
for what they may have
consumed [in the past], so long
as they fear God and believe in
Him and do good works; so long
as they fear God and believe in
Him, so long as they fear God
5:85 Al-Ma’idah 88
and do good deeds. For God loves
those who do good.94 Believers, God will test you
with game which come within
the reach of your hands and
spears, so that He may know
those who fear Him, even if they
cannot see Him. Anyone who
oversteps the limits after this
will have a painful punishment.95 Believers, do not kill any game
while you are on a pilgrimage.
Anyone of you who kills game
deliberately shall make
compensation with an animal
which is the equivalent of what
he has killed, to be determined
by two just men from among
you, as an offering brought to
the Ka‘bah; or he shall, in
expiation, either feed the poor or
do the equivalent of that in
fasting, so that he may taste the
consequence of his deeds. God
forgives what is past, but if
anyone relapses into
wrongdoing, God will exact His
retribution. God is mighty, the
Lord of retribution.96 To hunt and to eat the fish of
the sea is made lawful for you, a
provision made for you and for
seafarers. But you are forbidden
the game of the land while you
are on a pilgrimage. Have fear of
God, before whom you shall all
be gathered. 97 God has made the
Ka‘bah, the Sacred House, a
means of support as well as the
sacred month and the sacrificial
animals with their garlands. That
is so that you may know that
God has knowledge of whatever
is in the heavens and on the earth
and that He is fully aware of all
things. 98 Know that God is
severe in punishment, yet most
forgiving and merciful. 99 The
Messenger’s sole duty is to
convey the message. God knows
what you reveal and what you
hide. 100 Say, ‘The bad and the
good are not alike, even though
the abundance of the bad may
appear pleasing to you. So fear
God, O men of understanding,
so that you may prosper.’101 Believers, do not ask
questions about things which, if
they were made known to you,
would only become burdensome
for you; but if you ask them
89 The Table 5:101
when the Quran is being revealed,
they shall be made plain to you—
God has kept silent about them:
God is most forgiving and
forbearing. 102 Other people before
you enquired about such things, but
when they were disclosed to them,
they refused to carry them out.103 God has ordained no sanctity
about animals described as
bahirah, or sa’ibah, or wasilah
or ham.a Those who deny the
truth invent falsehoods about
God. Most of them do not use
their reason: 104 when it is said to
them, ‘Come to what God has
sent down and to the Messenger.’
They reply, ‘The faith we have
inherited from our fathers
is sufficient for us.’ Even
though their forefathers knew
nothing and were not guided!105 Believers, take care of your
own souls. The misguided cannot
harm you as long as you are
guided. All of you will return to
God. Then He will make you
realize that which you used to
do.106 Believers, when death
approaches you, let two just men
a These are different categories of
domestic animals which the pre-
Islamic Arabs used to dedicate to their
deities.
from among you act as witnesses
when you make your testaments;
or two men from another tribe, if
the calamity of death overtakes
you while you are travelling in
the land. Detain them after
prayers, and if you doubt their
honesty, let them swear by God,
‘We will not sell our testimony
for any price, even to a kinsman.
And we will not conceal the
testimony of God. If we did, we
would indeed be guilty of sin.’107 If it turns out that both prove
dishonest, two others should take
their place from amongst those
whose rights have been usurped
and let them swear by God,
saying, ‘Our testimony is indeed
truer than the testimony of these
two. And we have not been
guilty of any misstatement for
then indeed we would be
transgressors.’ 108 That makes it
more likely that people will bear
true witness, or else they will
5:102 Al-Ma’idah 90
fear that their oaths will be
contradicted by the oaths of others.
Heed God and listen; God does
not guide a rebellious, disobedient
people.109 The Day when God
assembles the messengers and
asks them, ‘What was the
response you received [from the
people]?’ they will reply, ‘We
have no knowledge of it. You
alone know what is hidden.’110 Then God will say, ‘Jesus,
son of Mary, remember My
favour to you and to your mother:
how I strengthened you with the
holy spirit, so that you could
speak to people in childhood
and in maturity; and how I taught
you the Book, and wisdom, the
Torah and the Gospel; how by
My leave you fashioned from
clay the shape of a bird and blew
upon it, so that, by My leave, it
became a bird, and healed the
blind and the leper by My
permission, and when you
brought forth the dead by My
permission; and how I prevented
the Children of Israel from
harming you when you came to
them with clear signs, when those
of them who denied the truth said,
“This is sheer magic.”111 [Remember the time], when
I inspired the disciples to believe
in Me and in My messenger, they
replied, “We believe, bear
witness that we have submitted.”’112 When the disciples said, ‘O
Jesus, son of Mary! Can your
Lord send down to us from
heaven a table spread with food?’
He replied, ‘Have fear of God, if
you are true believers.’ 113 They
said, ‘We want to eat from it, so
that we may satisfy our hearts
and know that you have told us
the truth, and that we should be
witnesses of it.’ 114 Jesus, son of
Mary, said, ‘O God, our Lord!
Send down for us a table spread
with food from heaven, so that it
may be a feast for us, for the first
of us and for the last of us: a
sign from You. Give us our
sustenance, for You are the best
of sustainers.’ 115 God replied, ‘I
will certainly send it down to
you, but whosoever of you deny
the truth thereafter will be
punished with a punishment such
91 The Table 5:115
as I have never meted out to
anyone else in the world.’116 When God says, ‘Jesus, son
of Mary, did you say to people,
“Take me and my mother as two
deities besides God”?’ He will
answer, ‘Glory be to You! How
could I ever say that to which I
have no right? If I had ever said
so, You would surely have known
it. You know what is in my mind,
while I do not know anything
that is within Yours. You alone
are the knower of unseen
things— 117 I told them only what
You commanded me to,
“Worship God, my Lord and
your Lord.” I was a witness to
what they did as long as I
remained among them, and when
You took my soul, You were the
watcher over them. You are the
witness of all things, 118 and if
You punish them, they are surely
Your servants; and if You forgive
them, You are surely the Mighty
and Wise.’119 God will say, ‘This is the
Day when the truthful will benefit
from their truthfulness. They shall
forever dwell in Gardens through
which rivers flow. God is pleased
with them and they with Him:
that is the supreme triumph.120 The kingdom of the heavens
and the earth and everything in
them belongs to God: He has
power over all things.
6 . T H E C ATTLE (A L - A N ‘ A M )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Praise be to God, who has
created the heavens and the earth
and brought into being darkness
and light. Yet those who deny
the truth set up equals to their
Lord! 2 It is He who has created
you out of clay, and then has
decreed a term [for you]—a term
known [only] to Him. Yet you
are still in doubt— 3 He is God
both in the heavens and on earth.
He has knowledge of all that you
hide and all that you reveal. He
knows what you do; 4 yet every
5:116 Al-Ma’idah 92
time a sign comes to them from
their Lord, they turn away from
it. 5 They have rejected truth
whenever it came to them, yet
[more] news will reach them
concerning what they have been
making a mockery of. 6 Have
they not seen how many
generations We destroyed before
them? We established them on
the earth more firmly than you,
and We sent the clouds over
them, pouring down abundant
rain; and made the rivers flow at
their feet. Yet We destroyed them
for their sins, and raised up other
generations after them.7 But even if We had sent
down to you a Book written on
parchment, and they had touched
it with their own hands—those
who deny the truth would still
have said, ‘This is mere magic.’8 They ask, ‘Why has an angel
not been sent down to him?’ If
We did send down an angel, the
matter would be settled and they
would not have been granted any
respite. 9 Indeed, if We had sent
an angel as messenger, We would
have made him in the form of a
man as well, and would have
thus added to their confusion.10 Messengers have been mocked
before you, but those who scoffed
were overtaken by the very thing
they scoffed at. 11 Say, ‘Travel
about the land and see what was
the end of the deniers.’12 Say, ‘To whom belongs all
that is in the heavens and earth?’
Say, ‘To God. He has taken it
upon Himself to be merciful.
That He will gather you on the
Day of Resurrection is beyond
all doubt. Those who have
forfeited their souls will never
have faith.’ 13 To Him belongs
all that dwells in the night and
the day. He is the All Hearing
and the All Knowing. 14 Say,
‘Shall I take as my protector
someone other than God, Creator
of the heavens and the earth,
who feeds all and is fed by
none?’ Say, ‘I have been
commanded to be the first of
those who submit. Do not be one
of the polytheists.’ 15 Say, ‘I will
never disobey my Lord, for I fear
the punishment of a dreadful
Day.’ 16 Anyone from whom
93 The Cattle 6:16
punishment is averted on that
Day has been shown great
mercy by God. That is a supreme
achievement.17 If God should let any harm
touch you, no one could remove
it except He; while if He should
let some good touch you, know
that He has the power to do all
that He wills. 18 He reigns
Supreme over His servants; and
He is the All Wise, the All Aware.19 Ask them, ‘What carries the
most weight as a witness?’ Tell
them it is God. He is a witness
between you and me. Say, ‘This
Quran has been revealed to me
so that through it I may warn you
and whoever it reaches. Do you
really bear witness that there are
other deities beside God?’ Say,
‘I do not bear witness to this.’
Say, ‘He is only one God, and I
disown whatever you associate
with Him.’20 Those to whom We have
given the Scriptures know this
as they know their own sons. But
those who have ruined their souls
will not believe. 21 Who does
greater wrong than he who
invents a lie against God and
denies His signs? Assuredly, the
wrongdoers will not succeed.22 On the Day when We gather
them all together, We will say to
those who associated [others with
Us], ‘Where are those partners
that you claimed?’ 23 Then they
will have no excuse but to say,
‘By God our Lord, we have
never been polytheists.’ 24 See
how they lie to themselves, and
how those [the deities] they
invented have deserted them.25 Among them are some who
listen to you, but We have placed
veils over their hearts and
deafness in their ears which
prevent them from understanding
what you say. Even if they saw
all the signs, they would still not
believe in them. When those
who deny the truth come to
dispute with you, they will say,
‘This is nothing but ancient
fables,’ 26 and they bar others
from believing and themselves
keep away. But they ruin no one
but themselves, though they fail
to realize this. 27 If you could
only see when they are set before
6:17 Al-An‘am 94
the Fire. They will say, ‘If only
we could be sent back. Then we
would not deny the signs of our
Lord and we would be of the
believers.’ 28 The truth they used
to hide will become all too clear
to them. But if they were sent
back, they would return to what
they had been forbidden. For
they are indeed liars.29 They say, ‘There is nothing
beyond our life in this world: we
shall not be raised up again from
the dead.’ 30 If you could only
see when they are made to stand
before their Lord! He will ask
them, ‘Is this [second life] not
the truth?’ They will say, ‘Yes,
by our Lord!’ He will say, ‘Then,
taste the punishment that comes
from your having refused to
acknowledge the truth!’31 Those indeed are the losers
who deny the meeting with God.
When the Hour comes on them
suddenly, they cry, ‘Alas for us,
that we neglected it!’ They shall
bear their burdens on their backs.
Evil are the burdens they shall
bear. 32 The life of this world is
but a sport and a pastime. Surely
the Home of the Hereafter is best
for those who fear God. Will you
not understand?33 We know that what they say
grieves you. It is not you that the
wrongdoers are rejecting, rather
it is the signs of God that they
reject. 34 Other messengers have
been denied before you, and
they bore their rejection and
persecution steadfastly, until Our
help came to them. There is no
one who can change the words
of God. You have already
received some account of those
messengers. 35 If you find their
rejection hard to bear, then seek
a tunnel into the ground or a
ladder into the sky, if you can,
and bring them a sign. Had God
so willed, He would indeed have
given them all [His] guidance.
So do not be among the ignorant.36 Only they who listen can
respond to a call; and as for the
dead, God will raise them up,
and then they will all return to
Him.37 They ask, ‘Why has no sign
been sent down to him from his
Lord?’ Say, ‘God alone has the
95 The Cattle 6:37
power to send down a sign.’ But
most of them do not understand:38 there is not an animal that
moves about on the earth, nor a
bird that flies on its two wings,
but are creatures like you. We
have left out nothing in the
Book—they shall all be gathered
before their Lord. 39 Those who
reject Our signs are deaf and
dumb, [groping along] in
darkness. God lets anyone He
wishes go astray and sets whoever
He will on a straight path.40 Say, ‘Tell me if the
punishment of God came upon
you or the Hour overtook you,
would you call upon any other
than God, if you are truthful?’41 Indeed, it is on Him that you
would call, and He could remove
that [affliction] which made you
call on Him, if He will, and then
you would forget [the false
deities] which you associate with
Him!’42 We sent messengers before
you [Prophet] to many
communities and afflicted their
people with suffering and
hardship, so that they might
humble themselves. 43 When the
affliction decreed by Us befell
them, they did not humble
themselves, but rather their hearts
hardened, for Satan had made all
their doings seem fair to them.44 When they had forgotten Our
admonition, We granted them all
that they desired; but just as they
were rejoicing in what they were
given, We seized them suddenly
and they were plunged into
despair. 45 The wrongdoers were
thus annihilated. All praise be to
God, the Lord of the Worlds.46 Say, ‘If God should take
away your hearing and your sight
and seal your hearts, who is the
deity who could restore it to you
save God?’ See how We explain
the signs to them in diverse
ways, yet they turn away. 47 Ask
them, ‘Tell me, if the punishment
of God came upon you suddenly
or predictably, would any but the
wrongdoers be destroyed?’ 48 We
send the messengers only to give
good news and to warn, so those
who believe and reform
themselves need have no
fear, nor will they grieve.
6:38 Al-An‘am 96
49 Chastisement will befall those
who reject Our signs because of
their disobedience. 50 Say, ‘I do
not say to you that I possess the
treasures of God, nor do I know
the unseen, nor do I say to you
that I am an angel. I follow only
that which is revealed to me.’
Say, ‘Are the blind and the seeing
alike? Can you not then think?’51 Warn by it those who fear to
be gathered before their Lord,
when they have no guardian or
intercessor besides God, so that
they may become God-fearing.52 Do not send away those who
call upon their Lord in the
morning and in the evening,
seeking only His grace. You are
not by any means accountable
for them, nor are they
accountable for you. If you turn
them away, you yourself will
become one of the unjust. 53 In
this way We try some of them by
means of others, so that they
may ask, ‘Are these [lowly ones]
whom God has singled out for
His favours from among us?
Does God not know best who
are the grateful ones?’
54 When those who believe in
Our revelations come to you,
say, ‘Peace be upon you. Your
Lord has taken it upon Himself
to be merciful. So that if any one
among you does evil in ignorance
and repents thereafter and makes
amends, then He is most
forgiving and ever merciful.’55 Thus We make plain Our signs,
so that the path of the evil-doers
might be laid bare.56 Say, ‘I am forbidden to
worship those you call upon
besides God.’ Say, ‘I do not
follow your whims and desires.
If I did, I would go astray and
cease to be rightly guided.’ 57 Say,
‘I stand by the clear evidence
from my Lord, yet you deny it.
What you seek to hasten is not
within my power. Judgement is
for God alone. He declares the
truth. He is the best of judges.’58 Say, ‘If what you seek to hasten
were within my power, the matter
would be settled between you
and me. God best knows the
evil-doers.’ 59 He holds the keys
to the unseen; none knows them
but He. He has knowledge of all
97 The Cattle 6:59
that land and sea contain. No
leaf falls without His knowledge,
nor is there a single grain in the
darkness of the earth, or anything,
wet or dry, but is recorded in a
clear Record.60 It is He who gathers you in
at night and knows all that you
do by day; then He raises you up
during the day so that an
appointed term may be
completed. Then to Him you
shall return and He will declare
to you all that you used to do.61 He is the Absolute Master over
His servants. He sends forth
guardians [angels] who watch
over you until, when death
approaches one of you, Our
angels take his soul, and they
never fail in their duty. 62 Then
they will all be returned to God,
their true Lord. The Judgement
is His alone. He is the swiftest
reckoner.63 Say, ‘Who is it who delivers
you from the dark depths of land
and sea when you call out to Him
humbly and in secret, saying, “If
He rescues us from this, we shall
most certainly be among the
grateful.”?’ 64 Say, ‘It is God
who delivers you from it and
from every other distress, yet
you associate partners with Him.’65 Say, ‘He has the power to send
punishment on you from above
your heads or from beneath your
feet, or to divide you in sects and
make you taste one another’s
violence.’ See how We explain
Our revelations in various ways,
so that they may understand.66 Your people have rejected the
message We have sent through
you, though it is the truth. Say ‘I
am not your keeper. 67 Every
prophecy has its fixed time to be
fulfilled: and soon you will come
to know.’68 When you see people
engaged in finding fault with
Our revelations, withdraw from
them until they turn to some
other topic. Should Satan cause
you to forget this, take leave of
the wrongdoers as soon as you
remember. 69 The God-fearing
are not in any way held
accountable for the wrongdoers;
their only duty is to remind them,
so that they may fear God.
6:60 Al-An‘am 98
70 Leave alone those for whom
religion is only a sport and
pastime and are deceived by the
life of this world, but continue to
remind them with the Quran,
lest a soul be held in pledge
because of what it has wrought,
having no helper or intercessor
besides God. Whatever ransom
they may offer, it will not be
accepted. Such are those that are
damned by their own actions:
they will have boiling water to
drink and a painful punishment
for their denial of truth.71 Say, ‘Instead of God, shall
we call upon that which can
neither benefit us nor harm us?
Are we to turn upon our heels
after God has guided us, like one
who, beguiled by devils in the
land, wanders bewildered, his
companions calling him to the
right path, saying, “Come to
us”?’ Say, ‘God’s guidance is
the only guidance. We are
commanded to surrender
ourselves to the Lord of the
Universe, 72 say our prayers
regularly and to fear God.’ He it
is to whom you will be gathered.’
73 It was He who created the
heavens and the earth for a true
purpose. On the Day when He
says, ‘Be,’ it shall be: His word is
the truth. All sovereignty shall be
His on the Day when the trumpet
is sounded. The Knower of the
unseen and the visible, He is the
Wise, the Aware One. 74 Remember
when Abraham said to his father,
Azar, ‘Do you take idols as your
gods? I see that you and your
people have clearly gone astray.’75 In this way We showed
Abraham Our kingdom of the
heavens and the earth, so that he
might have certainty of faith.76 When night descended on him,
he saw a star. He said, ‘This is
my Lord!’ Then when it set he
said, ‘I do not love things that
set.’ 77 When he saw the moon
rise and spread its light, he said,
‘This is my Lord.’ But when it
set, he said, ‘If my Lord does not
guide me, I will be one of the
misguided people.’ 78 Then,
when he saw the sun shining, he
said, ‘This is my Lord! This is
the greatest of all!’ Then when it
set, he said, ‘My people, I disown
99 The Cattle 6:78
all that you worship besides God.79 I have set my face with single-
minded devotion, towards Him
who has created the heavens and
the earth, and I am not one of the
polytheists.’ 80 His people argued
with him. He said, ‘Are you
arguing with me about God,
while He has guided me? I have
no fear of any partner you ascribe
to Him, unless my Lord should
wish otherwise. My Lord
encompasses all things in His
knowledge, so will you not pay
heed? 81 Why should I fear what
you associate with Him, while
you do not fear to associate with
God that for which He has sent
down to you no authority? Tell
me, if you know the truth, which
side has more right to feel secure.82 It is those who have faith, and
do not mix their faith with
wrongdoing, who will be secure,
and it is they who are rightly
guided.’ 83 This is the reasoning
We gave to Abraham against his
people—We raise in rank anyone
We please—your Lord is wise
and aware. 84 We gave him Isaac
and Jacob, each of whom We
guided as We had guided Noah
before. Among his descendants
were David and Solomon, and
Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron.
Thus do We reward the righteous.85 Zachariah, John, Jesus, and
Elijah—every one of them was
righteous—86 Ishmael, Elisha,
Jonah, and Lot—We favoured
each one of them above other
people, 87 and also some of their
forefathers, their offspring, and
their brothers: We chose them
and guided them to a straight
path. 88 This is the guidance of
God: He gives that guidance to
whichever of His servants He
pleases. If they had associated
other deities with Him, surely all
they did would have been of no
avail. 89 Those are the ones to
whom We gave the Scripture,
wisdom, and prophethood. If
these people [the Makkans] reject
it, We shall entrust it to a people
who will never refuse to
acknowledge it. 90 Those [the
previous prophets] were the
people whom God guided.
Follow their guidance then and
say, ‘I ask no reward for this
6:79 Al-An‘am 100
from you: it is only a reminder
for all mankind.’ 91 They do not
make a just estimate of God,
when they say, ‘God has not
revealed anything to any human
being.’ Say, ‘Who revealed the
Book which Moses brought, a
light and guidance for the people,
which you made into separate
sheets, showing some but hiding
many? You have been taught
things that neither you nor your
forefathers had known before.’
Say, ‘God has sent it;’ then leave
them toying away with their
speculation.92 This is a blessed Book which
We have revealed, confirming
what came before it, so that you
may warn the Mother of Cities
[Makkah] and the people around
it. Those who believe in the
Hereafter do believe in it, and
they are ever-mindful of their
prayers. 93 Who could do greater
wrong than someone who invents
a lie against God or who says, ‘It
has been revealed to me,’ while
nothing has been revealed to
him, or someone who says, ‘I
will send down the like of what
God has sent down’? If you
could only see the wrongdoers in
the throes of death when the
angels are stretching out their
hands, saying, ‘Give up your
souls. Today you will be repaid
with a humiliating punishment
for saying false things about
God and being arrogant about
His signs.’94 And now you have returned
to Us, alone as We created you at
first, leaving behind all that We
gave you. Nor do We see with
you your intercessors, those you
claimed were your partners with
God. The link between you is cut
and that which you presumed
has failed you. 95 It is God who
splits the seed and the fruit-
stone. He brings forth the living
from the dead, and the dead from
the living. That is God. How
then can you, deluded, turn away
from the truth?96 He causes the break of day,
and has made the night for rest
and He made the sun and the
moon to a precise measure. That
is the measure determined by the
Almighty and the All Knowing.
101 The Cattle 6:96
97 It is He who has set up for you
the stars so that you might be
guided by them in the midst of
the darkness of land and sea. We
have made the signs clear for
people who want to understand.a
98 It is He who first produced
you from a single soul, then gave
you a place to stay [in life] and
a resting place [after death]. We
have made Our revelations clear
to those who are men of
understanding.99 It is He who sends down
water from the sky. With it We
produce vegetation of all kinds;
out of green foliage, We produce
clustered grain; and from the
date-palm, out of its sheath, We
produce bunches of dates
hanging low. We produce
vineyards and olive groves and
pomegranates, alike yet different.
Look at their fruit as He causes
it to grow and ripen. In this are
signs for people who believe.100 They have set up jinns as
associates with God, even though
He created them! They have even
dared, in their ignorance, to
attribute sons and daughters to
Him. Hallowed be He and exalted
far above what they ascribe to
Him, 101 the Originator of the
heavens and the earth. How could
He have a son when He has no
consort? He created everything
and is aware of everything!102 This is God, your Lord, there
is no God but Him, the Creator
of all things, so worship Him;
He is the guardian of all things.103 No vision can grasp Him, but
He takes in over all vision; He is
the Subtle and Aware One.104 Clear insights have come to
you from your Lord. Whoever,
therefore, chooses to see, does
so for his own good; and whoever
chooses to remain blind, does so
to his own loss. Say, ‘I am not
here as your keeper.’ 105 This is
how We explain Our revelations
in various ways—so that they
might come to the point of saying,
‘You have read this out to us,’
6:97 Al-An‘am 102
a The gigantic system of the universe
runs with such exactitude that no
discrepancy has crept into it even after
millions of years. This proves the
immanence of a Being whose powers
are of unlimited greatness.
and that We might make it clear
[that this is the truth] to those
who are eager to know.106 Follow what has been
revealed to you from your Lord:
there is no deity but Him; and
ignore the polytheists. 107 If God
had willed, they would not have
associated anything with Him.
We did not appoint you over
them as their keeper, nor are you
their guardian. 108 Do not revile
those [beings] whom they invoke
instead of God, lest they, in their
hostility, revile God out of
ignorance. Thus to every people
We have caused their actions to
seem fair. To their Lord they shall
all return, and He will declare to
them all that they have done.109 They swear a solemn oath by
God that if there should come to
them a sign, they will believe in it.
Say, ‘Signs are granted only by
God.’ How can you tell that if a
sign be given to them, they will
indeed believe in it?110 We will turn away their
hearts and eyes from the Truth,
since they refused to believe in it
in the first instance. We will let
them wander blindly in their
insolence. 111 Even if We sent
down angels to them, and caused
the dead to speak to them, and
We gathered together everything
in front of them, they would still
not believe, unless God had so
willed. But most of them behave
ignorantly. 112 In like manner We
have assigned for every prophet
an opponent, Satans from among
men and jinn, who make evil
suggestions to each other by
means of specious words in order
to deceive—had it been your
Lord’s will, they would not have
done so; so leave them alone to
their fabrication, 113 in order that
the hearts of those who do not
believe in the life to come might
incline towards those suggestions
and, being pleased, persist in
their sinful ways. 114 Should I
seek a judge other than God,
when it is He who has revealed
the Book, clearly explained.
Those to whom We gave the
Book earlier know that it is the
truth revealed by your Lord.
Therefore, have no doubts.115 The Word of your Lord is
103 The Cattle 6:115
perfected in truth and justice.
None can change His words. He
is the All Hearing, the All
Knowing. 116 If you obey the
majority of those on earth, they
will lead you astray from God’s
way. They follow nothing but
conjecture. They are only
guessing. 117 Your Lord knows
best who has strayed from His
Way and He knows best those
who are guided. 118 Eat then,
only that over which God’s name
has been pronounced, if you
truly believe in His revelations.119 Why should you not eat
what has been consecrated in
God’s name, when He has
already explained to you what
He has forbidden you, unless
you are compelled by necessity?
Surely, many mislead others by
their desires through lack of
knowledge. But your Lord best
knows the transgressors.120 Eschew all sin, open or secret:
Those who commit sin will
receive due punishment for their
sins, 121 and do not eat anything
over which God’s name has not
been pronounced, for that surely
is disobedience. The devils
inspire their followers to argue
with you. If you obey them, you
will become of those who
associate partners with God.122 Can he who was dead, to
whom We gave life, and a light
whereby he could walk among
people be like him who is in
utter darkness from which he
can never emerge? Thus the
deeds of those who deny the
truth have been made fair-
seeming to them.123 Thus We have placed
leaders of the wicked in every
town to plot therein. Yet it is
only against themselves that they
scheme, though they may not
perceive it. 124 When a sign
comes to them, they say, ‘We
will not believe in it until we are
given what God’s messengers
have been given. But God knows
best whom to appoint as His
Messenger. Humiliation before
God and severe torment will
befall the evil-doers for their
scheming. 125 When God desires
to guide someone, He opens his
breast to Islam; and whoever He
6:116 Al-An‘am 104
wills to let go astray, He causes
his breast to be constricted as if
he had to climb up to the skies.
That is how God heaps ignominy
upon those who refuse to believe.126 This is the straight path
leading to your Lord. We have
made the signs clear for thinking
men. 127 They shall dwell in the
Home of Peace with their Lord;
He will be their Protector as a
recompense for what they have
been doing. 128 On the day when
He gathers them all together, He
will say, ‘Company of jinn, you
took away many followers among
mankind.’ And their adherents
among mankind will say, ‘Our
Lord, we benefited from one
another, but now we have reached
the end of the term which You
determined for us.’ He will say,
‘The Fire shall be your home,
and there you shall remain
forever, except as God wills.
Surely your Lord is wise and all
knowing.129 And in like manner We
shall keep the wrongdoers close
to others as a punishment for
their misdeeds. 130 Company
of jinn and mankind! Did
messengers not come from
among you to recite My
revelations to you, and warn you
of the meeting of this Day?’
They will say, ‘We bear witness
against ourselves.’ It was the life
of this world that deceived them
and so they will bear witness
against themselves, that they
rejected the truth. 131 Your Lord
would not destroy a community
for its wrongdoing, so long as its
people were still unaware. 132 For
all are degrees of rank according
to their deeds; your Lord is not
unaware of anything they do.133 Your Lord is the self-
sufficient One, the merciful. If
He wills, He can take you away
and replace you by anyone He
pleases, just as He raised you
from the offspring of other
people. 134 That which you are
promised shall surely come to
pass and you cannot prevent it.135 Say, ‘O my people! Go on
acting in your way; indeed I am
going to act in my way; soon you
will know whose end will be
best in the Hereafter.’ Surely, the
105 The Cattle 6:135
wrongdoers shall not prosper.136 They set aside for God a
share in what He has produced,
such as crops and livestock, and
they say, ‘This is for God’—so
they claim!—and ‘this is for our
associate-gods? Their associate-
gods’ share does not reach God,
whereas God’s share reaches
their associate-gods. How ill
they judge!137 And in like manner, their
associate gods have made killing
their children seem fair to many
pagans, so that they may ruin
them and cause confusion in
their religion. Had God pleased,
they would not have done so; so
leave them to their false
inventions. 138 They also say,
‘These animals and these crops
are forbidden. None may eat
them except those we permit.’
So they claim! There are some
animals they exempt from labour
and some over which they do not
pronounce God’s name, thus
committing a sin against Him.
He will requite them for the
falsehoods they invent.139 They say, ‘What is in the
wombs of such and such cattle is
exclusively for our males and is
forbidden to our females. But if
it is stillborn, they may have a
share of it.’ God will soon punish
them for their [false] attribution.
He is wise, and all-knowing.140 Losers indeed are they who
kill their children foolishly and
without knowledge and
declare as forbidden what God
has provided for them as
sustenance—a fabrication
against God: they have gone
astray and have not chosen to be
rightly guided. 141 It is He who
has produced gardens, both
trellised and untrellised, and date
palms and field crops, all varying
in taste, and the olive and the
pomegranate, both similar and
dissimilar. Eat their fruits when
they bear fruit and give away
what is due of them on the day of
their harvest. Do not waste
anything. He does not love the
wasteful!142 Of the cattle there are some
for carrying burdens and some
for food. Eat what God has
provided for you and do not
6:136 Al-An‘am 106
follow in Satan’s footsteps, for
he is a declared enemy of yours.143 God has created four kinds of
livestock of either sex: two of
sheep and two of goats. Ask
them, ‘Is it the two males He has
forbidden or the two females or
what the wombs of the two
females contain? Tell me on the
basis of knowledge, if you are
truthful.’144 Again, of the camels there
are two, and of the oxen two.
Ask them, ‘Is it the two males He
has forbidden, or the two females
or what the wombs of the two
females contain? Were you
present when God enjoined this
on you?’ Who is more unjust
than one who, without
knowledge, fabricates a lie
against God, so that he may lead
people astray without
knowledge? Surely, God does
not guide the wrongdoers. 145 Say
[O Prophet], ‘In all that has been
revealed to me, I do not find a
ban on anything to eat, except
for carrion, flowing blood and
pork, all these being unclean or
profane, on which the name of
someone other than God has
been invoked.’ But if anyone is
forced by necessity, being neither
disobedient nor exceeding the
limit, then surely your Lord is
most forgiving and merciful.146 We forbade the Jews all
animals with claws and the fat of
sheep [and goats] and oxen,
except what is on their backs and
in their intestines and what
adheres to their bones. That is
the penalty We imposed on them
for their disobedience. And We
assuredly are true to Our word.147 So, if they accuse you of
lying, say, ‘The mercy of your
Lord is all-encompassing. His
punishment cannot be averted
from sinful men.’ 148 Those who
associate partners with God will
surely say, ‘Had God pleased,
neither we nor our fathers would
have served other gods besides
Him; nor would we have made
anything unlawful.’ Likewise
those who lived before them
argued falsely until they came to
taste Our punishment! Say, ‘Have
you any knowledge? If so,
produce it before us. You follow
107 The Cattle 6:148
nothing but conjecture. You are
merely guessing.’149 Say, ‘God alone has the
conclusive proof. If He had
willed, He could have guided
every one of you.’ 150 Say, ‘Come,
bring your witnesses, who can
testify that God forbade [all]
this.’ If they bear witness
[falsely], do not bear witness
with them; nor yield to the wishes
of those who deny Our signs, nor
of those who do not believe in
the life to come and set up others
as equals with their Lord. 151 Say,
‘Come! I will tell you what your
Lord has really forbidden you!
Do not associate anything with
Him; be good to your parents;
and do not kill your children for
fear of poverty—We shall
provide sustenance for you as
well as for them—refrain from
committing indecent deeds,
whether openly or in secret; and
do not kill the life which God
has made sacred, save by right.
That is what He has enjoined
upon you, so that you may
understand.152 Stay well away from an
orphan’s property, except with
the best intentions, before he
comes of age. Give full measure
and weight, according to
justice—We never charge a soul
with more than it can bear—
when you speak, observe justice,
even though it concerns a close
relative; and fulfil the covenants
of God. That is what He has
enjoined upon you so that you
may take heed.153 [He has enjoined], ‘This is
My straight path; so follow it,
and do not follow other ways:
that will lead you away from His
path.’ That is what He enjoins
upon you, so that you may guard
yourselves. 154 Then We gave
Moses the Book, completing
[Our favour] to the righteous,
explaining everything clearly, as
guidance and mercy, so that they
might believe in meeting their Lord.155 This is a Book which We
have revealed as a blessing—
follow it and fear your Lord, so
that you may receive mercy—156 and not say, ‘The Book was
only sent down to the two groups
before us and we were indeed
6:149 Al-An‘am 108
unaware of their teachings,’ 157 or
you may say, ‘If the Book had
been sent down to us, we would
surely have followed its guidance
better than they did.’ There has
now come to you clear evidence
from your Lord, and guidance
and mercy. Who, then, is more
unjust than one who rejects the
signs of God and turns away from
them? We shall requite those who
turn away from Our signs with a
painful punishment, for their
turning away. 158 Are they waiting
for the angels or your Lord to
come down to them, or for some
of your Lord’s signs to come?
The day when some of the signs
of your Lord shall come, it shall
not profit any human being who
did not believe before, or who did
not do any good by his faith. Say
to them, ‘Wait then, we too are
waiting.’ 159 Have nothing to do
with those who have split up their
religion into sects. Their case
rests with God; He will tell them
about what they used to do.160 Whoever does a good deed
will be repaid tenfold, but those
who do a bad deed will only be
repaid with its equivalent and
they shall not be wronged. 161 Say,
‘My Lord has guided me to a
straight path, and to an upright
religion, the religion of Abraham
the upright, who was not of those
who associate partners with God.’162 Say, ‘My prayer and my
sacrifice and my life and my
death are all for God, the Lord of
the worlds; 163 He has no partner.
So am I commanded, and I am the
first of those who submit.’ 164 Say,
‘Shall I seek a lord other than
God, while He is the Lord of all
things?’ Everyone must bear the
consequence of what he does,
and no bearer of a burden can
bear the burden of another. Then
to your Lord you will return, and
He will inform you of what you
used to dispute about. 165 It is
He who has made you
successors [of others] on the
earth and has exalted some of
you over the others in degrees
of rank, so that He may test
you by that which He has given
you. Your Lord is swift in
punishment; yet surely He is
forgiving, and merciful.
109 The Cattle 6:165
7 . T H E H E I G H T S ( A L - A ‘ R A F )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
(110)
1 Alif Lam Mim Sad
2 This Book has been sent
down to you—let there be no
heaviness in your heart about
it—so that you may warn by
means of it and it is a reminder
to the believers. 3 Follow what
has been sent down to you by
your Lord and do not follow any
protector other than Him. How
seldom you take heed. 4 How
many towns We have destroyed.
Our scourge fell upon them by
night or at midday when they
were resting: 5 and when Our
scourge fell upon them, their
only cry was, ‘We were indeed
wrongdoers!’ 6 Then shall We
question those to whom Our
message was sent and those
through whom We sent it 7 with
full knowledge, We shall tell
them what they did, for We have
never been away from them.8 Truth alone will be of weight
that Day. Those whose scales are
heavy shall be successful, 9 and
those whose good deeds are light
[in the balance] will be the ones
who have lost themselves
because they wrongfully rejected
Our signs.10 We established you in the
land and provided you with a
means of livelihood there: yet
you are seldom thankful. 11 We
created you, then We shaped you
and then We said to the angels,
‘Prostrate yourselves before
Adam,’ and they all prostrated
themselves, except Satan. He
was not among those who
prostrated themselves. 12 God
asked, ‘What prevented you from
prostrating yourself when I
commanded you to?’ He replied,
‘I am better than he is; You
created me from fire, while You
created him from clay.’ 13 God
said, ‘Get down from here! This
is no place for your arrogance.
Get out! You are contemptible!’14 Satan said, ‘Give me respite
until the Day of Resurrection,’15 and God replied, ‘You are
granted respite.’ 16 Then Satan
said, ‘Because You have put me
in the wrong, I will lie in ambush
for them on Your straight path:17 then I will surely come upon
them from before them and from
behind them and from their right
and from their left, and then You
will find most of them
ungrateful.’ 18 He said, ‘Get out
of here, despised, and rejected! I
shall fill Hell with all of those
who follow you.’19 To Adam He said, ‘You and
your wife, dwell in the Garden
and eat and drink there from
wherever you wish, but do not
approach this tree, lest you
become wrongdoers.’ 20 But
Satan tempted them so that he
might reveal to them their
nakedness which had been
hidden from them. He said, ‘Your
Lord has forbidden you to
approach this tree lest you should
become angels or become of the
immortals,’ 21 and he swore
to them, ‘Surely, I am your
well-wisher.’
111 The Heights 7:27
22 Thus he cunningly seduced
them. When they tasted the tree’s
fruit, their nakedness became
exposed to them and they started
covering themselves with the
leaves of the garden. Their Lord
called out to them, ‘Did I not
forbid you to approach that tree,
and did I not say to you that
Satan was surely your open
enemy?’ 23 They replied, ‘Our
Lord, we have wronged our
souls: if You do not forgive us
and have mercy on us, we shall
be among the lost.’ 24 He said,
‘Go down from here as enemies
to each other. For a while, there
is an abode for you and a
provision on earth. 25 There you
will live; there you will die; from
there you will be raised up again.’26 O children of Adam! We
have sent down to you clothes to
cover your nakedness, and to be
pleasing to the eye; but the
raiment of righteousness is the
best. That is one of the signs of
God. So that people may take
heed. 27 Children of Adam, do
not let Satan seduce you, just as
he turned your parents out of the
Garden: he deprived them of
their garment in order to make
them aware of their nakedness.
He and his forces watch you
from where you do not see them!
We have made the devils friends
of those who do not believe.28 And when they commit an
indecency, they say, ‘This is what
our fathers used to do and God
has enjoined it on us.’ Say, ‘God
does not enjoin what is indecent.
Would you attribute to God
something of which you have no
knowledge?’ 29 Say, ‘My Lord
has commanded you to act justly.
Turn your faces up toward Him
at every time and place of
worship, and call upon Him,
making yourselves sincere
towards Him in religion. As He
brought you into being, so shall
you return.’ 30 Some He has
guided and some have earned
misguidance: they have taken
devils rather than God as their
patrons, thinking that they are
rightly guided.31 O Children of Adam, dress
yourself properly whenever you
are at worship: and eat and drink
7:28 Al-A‘raf 112
but exceed not the bounds: Goddoes not love those who exceedthe bounds. 32 Say, ‘Who hasforbidden the adornment of God,which He has brought forth forHis servants and good things,
clean and pure, which God hasprovided for His servants?’ Say,‘They are [lawful] for thebelievers in the present life butthey shall be exclusively for themon the Day of Resurrection.’
Thus We explain Our signs for apeople who understand.33 Say,‘My Lord has forbiddenindecency, both open and hidden,sin and wrongful oppression andthat, without His sanction, you
associate things with Him, andthat you say things about Himwithout knowledge.’
34 For all people a term hasbeen set: and when [the end of]their term approaches, they can
neither delay it by a singlemoment, nor can they advanceit. 35 Children of Adam! Ifmessengers come to you fromamong yourselves, reciting Myrevelations to you, then those
that take warning and mend their
ways, on such shall come no fear
nor shall they grieve. 36 But those
who deny and scorn Our
revelations shall be the inmates
of Hell, where they shall remain
forever. 37 Who does a greater
wrong than he who invents lies
against God or rejects His
revelations? Such people will
have what has been decreed for
them. And when Our messengers
come to them to take away their
souls, they shall ask them,
‘Where are those you used to
call upon besides God?’ They
will answer, ‘They have deserted
us;’ and they will bear witness
against themselves that they were
disbelievers?38 God will say, ‘Enter the Fire
and join the bands of jinn and
men that have gone before you.’
Every time a host enters [the
fire], it will curse its fellow-
host, then, when they are all
gathered there, the last of them
will say of the first, ‘Our Lord, it
was they who led us astray: give
them double punishment in the
Fire,’—God will say, ‘Every one
of you will have double
punishment, though you do not
113 The Heights 7:43
know it’—39 then the preceding
one will say to the succeeding
one, ‘You are no better than us:
so taste the punishment you have
earned.’40 The gates of Heaven shall
not be opened for those who
rejected Our signs and arrogantly
spurned them; nor shall they
enter Paradise until a camel shall
pass through the eye of a needle.
That is how We repay the evil-
doers—41 Hell shall be their bed,
and over them will be coverings
of fire—thus shall We reward
the wrongdoers. 42 But those who
believed and did good deeds—
and We do not burden any soul
with more than it can bear—
such are the heirs of the Garden
and there they will remain
forever. 43 And We shall remove
whatever rancour may be in their
hearts. At their feet shall flow
rivers. And they shall say, ‘All
praise belongs to God who has
guided us to this. Had God not
guided us, we would never have
found the way. The messengers
of our Lord brought the Truth.’ A
voice will call out to them, ‘This
is the Garden which you have
inherited by your labours.’44 The people of the Garden
will call out to the people of the
Fire, ‘We have found that what
our Lord promised us is true.
Have you, too, found that what
your Lord promised you is true?’
They will say, ‘Yes, we have!’
Then a crier shall call out among
them saying, ‘The curse of God
is upon the wrongdoers— 45 who
turned people away from the
path of God and sought to make
it appear crooked, and who
denied the Hereafter.’46 A barrier will divide the two
groups, and on the heights there
will be men who recognize each
group by their marks. They will
call out to the people of the
Garden, ‘Peace be with you.’
They will not have yet entered,
but they will be hoping [to do
so], 47 and when they turn their
eyes towards the inmates of the
Fire, they will say, ‘Our Lord, do
not include us among the
wrongdoers!’ 48 And the people
of the heights will call out to
men they recognize by their
marks, ‘What use have your great
numbers and your false pride
been? 49 See! are these not the
people you swore would never
earn God’s mercy? “Enter the
Garden! No fear shall come upon
you nor shall you grieve.”’50 The people of the Fire shall
call out to the people of heaven,
‘Pour out some water on us, or
give us something out of that
which God has bestowed upon
you.’ But the blessed will reply,
‘God has forbidden all that to
those who denied the truth.51 Who treated religion as a
pastime and an idle sport and
whom the life of the world had
beguiled.’ On that Day We shall
forget them, as they forgot their
meeting of that Day with Us, for
they denied Our revelations.52 And surely We have brought
them a Book which We have
expounded with knowledge, a
guide and a mercy for those who
believe. 53 Do they wait for the
fulfillment of that of which it
warns? On the Day when that
fulfillment comes, those who
had neglected it before will say,
7:44 Al-A‘raf 114
‘The messengers of our Lord did
indeed bring the truth. Have we
then any intercessors who would
intercede for us? Or, could we be
sent back so that we might act
differently from the way we used
to?’ They have indeed ruined
their souls and what they
invented has forsaken them.54 Your Lord is God, who
created the heavens and the earth
in six Days [periods] and then
settled Himself firmly on the
throne. He throws the veil of
night over the day, each seeking
the other in rapid succession. It
was He who created the sun, the
moon and the stars, and made
them subservient to His will. His
is the creation, His the command.
Blessed be God, Lord of the
universe! 55 Call on your Lord
with humility and in secret—He
does not love the transgressors:56 do not spread corruption on
the earth after it has been set in
order—pray to Him with fear
and hope, God’s mercy is close
to those who do good.57 It is God who sends forth
the winds as harbingers of His
mercy, and when they have
gathered up the heavy clouds,
We drive them on to a dead land
where We cause rain to fall,
bringing out all kinds of fruit,
just as We will raise the dead to
life. Perhaps you will take heed.58 Vegetation comes out of good
land in abundance by the will of
its Lord, but out of bad land only
scantily. Thus We explain Our
signs in diverse ways for those
who give thanks.59 We sent Noah to his people.
He said, ‘O my people, worship
God; you have no other god but
He. I fear for you the punishment
of a dreadful Day,’ 60 but the
leading men of his people said,
‘Truly, we see that you are
obviously lost in error!’ 61 Said
[Noah], ‘O my people! I am not
in error. Indeed, I am a messenger
from the Lord of the Worlds, 62 I
am conveying my Lord’s
messages to you and giving you
sincere advice. I know things
from God that you do not. 63 Do
you find it so strange that a
message should come from your
Lord through a man from among
115 The Heights 7:63
yourselves, so that he may warn
you and so that you may fear
God and be shown mercy?’ 64 But
they denied him, so We saved
him and those with him in the
Ark, and We drowned those who
rejected Our signs. They were
indeed a blind people.65 To the people of ‘Ad We
sent their brother, Hud. He said,
‘O my people, worship God, you
have no other god but He. Then
will you not be God-fearing?’66 The leading men of his people
who refused to acknowledge the
truth, said, ‘We can see you are
a foolish man, and we think you
are lying.’ 67 He said, ‘My people,
I am by no means a fool, but
rather am a messenger from the
Lord of the Universe, 68 I am
conveying my Lord’s messages
to you and I am your sincere and
honest adviser. 69 Do you find it
strange that a Message should
come from your Lord, through
one of your own men, to
warn you? Remember how He
made you successors of Noah’s
people, and increased you
greatly in stature. Remember
the favours of God, so that you
may prosper.’70 They said, ‘Have you come
to tell us to serve God alone and
to forsake the gods our
forefathers served? Bring us then
what you threaten us with, if you
are truthful.’ 71 He said, ‘Your
Lord’s wrath and indignation
have already fallen upon you.
Would you dispute with me about
mere names, which you and your
fathers have invented, and for
which God has revealed no
authority? Wait then if you will:
I am waiting alongside you.’72 Then We saved him and those
who were with him, by Our
mercy; We annihilated those who
denied Our signs and would not
believe.73 To the Thamud We sent their
brother Salih. He said, ‘O my
people, worship God; you have
no other god but Him. A veritable
proof has come to you from your
Lord: this is God’s she-camel, a
sign for you, so let her feed in
God’s land and do not harm her
in any way, or you will be
overwhelmed by a painful
7:64 Al-A‘raf 116
punishment. 74 Remember when
He made you successors to the
‘Ad and settled you in the land.
You built palaces on its plains
and carved houses out of the
mountains. Remember God’s
blessings and do not spread
corruption in the land,’ 75 but the
arrogant leaders of his people
said to the believers who were
deemed weak, ‘Do you know for
certain that Salih is one sent
from his Lord?’ They replied,
‘We believe in the message which
has been sent through him.’76 The arrogant leaders said, ‘We
reject what you believe in.’ 77 So
they hamstrung the she-camel,
and insolently defied the
commandment of their Lord,
saying, ‘O Salih! Bring upon us
what you threaten us with if you
are indeed a messenger.’ 78 So
the earthquake overwhelmed
them, and morning found them
prostrate in their dwelling places.79 He left them, saying, ‘My
people, I delivered my Lord’s
messages to you and counselled
you sincerely, but you do not like
sincere advisors.’
80 We sent Lot, who said to his
people, ‘How can you commit
an abomination such as no one
in the world has ever done before
you? 81 You lust after men rather
than women! You transgress all
bounds!’ 82 The only answer
given by his people was, ‘Turn
them out of your town. They are
people who regard themselves to
be pure.’ 83 So We saved him and
his family—except for his wife.
She was one of those who stayed
behind. 84 We rained down on
them a shower [of brimstone].
Then see what was the end of the
evil-doers.85 To Midian We sent their
brother Shu‘ayb. He said, ‘O my
people, worship God; you have
no other god but Him. A clear
Sign has indeed come to you
from your Lord. So give full
measure and full weight, and do
not deliver short. Do not corrupt
the land after it has been set in
order. This is for your own good,
if you are true believers. 86 Do
not lie in ambush on every
pathway, threatening people,
barring those who believe from
117 The Heights 7:86
the Way of God, seeking to make
it appear crooked. Remember
when you were few in number
and He multiplied you. Consider
the fate of those who used to
spread corruption. 87 And if there
is a group of you which believes
in My message and others who
disbelieve it, be patient until
God shall judge between us. He
is the best of judges.’88 The arrogant leaders of his
people said, ‘Shu‘ayb, we will
expel you and your fellow
believers from our town unless
you return to our faith.’ He said,
‘Even though we detest it? 89 We
would be inventing lies against
God if we returned to your faith
after God has delivered us from
it. It is not for us to return to it
unless God our Lord so willed.
Our Lord encompasses all things
in His knowledge. We have put
our trust in God. Our Lord,
expose the truth [and judge]
between us and our people, You
are the best judge.’ 90 The
leading men of his people who
were bent on denying the truth,
said, ‘If you follow Shu‘ayb,
you will certainly be the losers.’91 Thereupon an earthquake
overtook them and morning
found them lying flattened in
their homes; 92 those who had
denied Shu‘ayb became as
though they had never lived there.
Those who denied Shu‘ayb, were
themselves the losers. 93 So he
turned away from them, saying,
‘My people, I delivered my
Lord’s messages to you and gave
you sincere advice, so why
should I grieve for people who
refused to believe?’94 Whenever We sent a prophet
to a town, We afflicted its people
with suffering and adversity, so
that they might humble
themselves [before God], 95 and
then We changed their hardship
into ease until they grew affluent
and said, ‘Our fathers had also
experienced adversity and
prosperity,’ then We seized them
suddenly, unawares. 96 Had the
people of those towns believed
in and feared God, We would
have showered upon them
blessings from heaven and earth,
but they rejected the truth. So
7:87 Al-A‘raf 118
We seized them on account of
their misdeeds. 97 Do the people
of these towns now feel secure
against the coming of Our
punishment upon them by night
while they are asleep? 98 Or, do
they feel secure against the
coming of Our punishment upon
them in the forenoon while they
are at play? 99 Do they feel secure
against God’s devising? No one
feels secure against God’s devising
except for those doomed to ruin.100 Does it not guide the people
who inherit the land from former
people that We can punish them
for their sins if We will? And
seal up their hearts so that they
would not be able to lend an ear
to words of guidance? 101 We
have told you the stories of those
towns: their messengers came to
them with clear signs, but they
were never going to believe in
something they had already
rejected. Thus God seals up the
hearts of those who deny the
truth. 102 We found most of them
untrue to their covenants, indeed
We found most of them to
be defiant.
103 After them We sent Moses
with Our signs to Pharaoh and
his chiefs. But they willfully
rejected them. Consider the end
of the evil-doers. 104 Moses said,
‘Pharaoh, I am a messenger from
the Lord of the Universe,105 duty-bound to say nothing
about God but the truth, and I
have brought you a clear sign
from your Lord. Let the Children
of Israel go with me.’106 [Pharaoh] said, ‘If you come
with a sign, then produce it, if
you are telling the truth.’ 107 Then
Moses threw down his staff and
suddenly, unmistakably, it
appeared as a serpent, 108 and he
drew forth his hand, and it
appeared [shining] white to the
beholders. 109 The chiefs of
Pharaoh’s people said, ‘This is
most surely a skillful magician,110 who seeks to drive you from
your land!’ Pharaoh said, ‘What
then do you advise?’ 111 They
said, ‘Let him and his brother
wait awhile, and send into the
cities summoners, 112 who should
bring to you every skillful
magician.’
119 The Heights 7:112
113 And the magicians came to
Pharaoh and asked, ‘Shall we
have a reward, if we should
prevail?’ 114 Pharaoh replied,
‘Certainly, and you shall also
become my courtiers.’ 115 They
said, ‘Moses, will you first throw,
or shall we?’ 116 He said, ‘You
throw [first]!’ When they made
their cast, they bewitched the
eyes of the people and struck
them with awe, for they showed
a great [feat of] magic. 117 Then
We inspired Moses, saying,
‘Throw down your staff.’ And it
immediately swallowed up their
false devices. 118 Thus the truth
prevailed and what they had
produced came to nothing:119 Pharaoh and his men were
defeated and utterly humiliated.120 And the sorcerers prostrated
themselves 121 and said, ‘We
believe in the Lord of the
Universe, 122 the Lord of Moses
and Aaron!’123 Pharaoh said, ‘You dare
believe in Him before I have
given you permission? Behold,
this is indeed a plot which you
have devised in this city in order
to drive its people out. But
you shall soon know the
consequences, 124 I will cut off
your hands and feet on alternate
sides and then crucify you all!’125 They replied, ‘We shall surely
return to our Lord. 126 You would
punish us only because we
believed in the signs of our Lord
when they were shown to us.
Our Lord, pour patience upon
us, and cause us to die in a state
of submission to You.’127 The chiefs of Pharaoh’s
people said, ‘Will you allow
Moses and his people to spread
corruption in the land, and to
forsake you and your gods?’ He
replied, ‘We shall kill their male
children and spare only the
females. We have complete
power over them.’ 128 Moses said
to his people, ‘Turn to God for
help and be patient. The earth
belongs to God. He gives it to
those of His servants whom He
chooses, and the future belongs
to the God-fearing.’ 129 They
replied, ‘We were being
persecuted before you came to
us, and we are still being
7:113 Al-A‘raf 120
persecuted.’ He said, ‘Your Lord
may well destroy your enemy
and make you successors to the
land. Then He will see how you
conduct yourselves.’130 We afflicted Pharaoh’s
people with shortages of food
and famine so that they might
take heed, 131 then when
something good came to them,
they said, ‘It is our due!’—but
when something bad came, they
ascribed it as an ill-omen to
Moses and those with him. Surely
their [evil] fortune had been
decreed by God, but most of
them did not know this. 132 They
said, ‘Whatever miracles you
work to bewitch us, we will not
believe in you.’133 Then We afflicted them
with storms, and locusts, and
lice, and frogs, and blood: so
many clear signs. But they were
steeped in arrogance, for they
were a people given to sin.134 Whenever a plague struck
them, they would say, ‘Moses,
pray to your Lord for us by virtue
of the promise He has made to
you: if you remove this plague
from us, we will surely believe
in you and let the Children of
Israel go with you,’ 135 but
whenever We removed the
plague from them, giving them
time to make good their promise,
they would break their word.136 So We exacted retribution
from them and drowned them in
the sea, because they rejected
Our signs and paid no heed to
them; 137 We made the people
who were considered weak
inheritors of the eastern parts
and western parts of the land
which We had blessed. Thus
your Lord’s good promise to the
Children of Israel was fulfilled,
because of their patience, and
We destroyed all that Pharaoh
and his people had built and all
that they had raised high.138 We brought the Children of
Israel across the sea and they
came upon a people who were
devoted to their idols. They said,
‘Moses, give us a god just like
the gods these people have.’ He
said, ‘You are indeed an ignorant
people: 139 what they are engaged
in is doomed to destruction and
121 The Heights 7:139
all their works are in vain.’ 140 He
said, ‘Shall I seek a deity for you
other than God, while it is He
who has exalted you above all
peoples? 141 We delivered you
from Pharaoh’s people, who
afflicted you with dreadful
torment, slaying your male
children and sparing only your
daughters. That was surely a
great trial for you by your Lord.’142 We appointed thirty nights
for Moses, then added ten more:
the term set by his Lord was
fulfilled in forty nights. Moses
said to his brother Aaron, ‘Take
my place among my people: act
rightly and do not follow the
way of those who spread
corruption.’ 143 And when Moses
came at Our appointed time and
his Lord spoke to him, he said,
‘My Lord, show Yourself to me
so that I may look at You.’ He
replied, ‘You cannot see Me, but
look at the mountain; if it remains
firmly in its place, then only will
you see Me.’ And when his Lord
manifested Himself on the
mountain, He broke it into
pieces and Moses fell down
unconscious. And when he
recovered, he said, ‘Glory be to
You, I turn towards You, and I
am the first to believe.’144 He replied, ‘Moses, I have
chosen you of all mankind for
My messages and My Words.
Hold fast to what I have given
you, and be among the grateful!’145 And We wrote for him upon
the Tablets an admonition and
details of all things, then [bade
him], ‘Hold fast to them; and
command your people to follow
them in their best sense. Soon I
shall show you the home of the
wicked. 146 I will turn away from
My signs all those who are
arrogant in the land without any
right, so that even if they see all
the signs they will not believe in
them. If they see the right path,
they shall not walk upon it: but
if they see the path of error, they
shall choose it for their path,
because they have given the lie
to Our signs and paid no heed to
them. 147 The actions of those
who denied Our signs and the
Meeting of the Hereafter will
come to nothing—they shall
7:140 Al-A‘raf 122
be requited only, according to
their deeds.’148 In his absence, the people
of Moses made a calf from their
ornaments, an image which made
a lowing sound. Could they not
see that it did not speak to them
or guide them in any way? Yet
they took to worshipping it: they
were evil-doers. 149 When they
were afflicted with remorse, and
realized that they had indeed
gone astray, they said, ‘If our
Lord does not have mercy on us
and forgive us, we shall be among
the lost.’ 150 When Moses
returned to his people in anger
and great sorrow, he said, ‘What
an awful sin you have committed
in my absence. Did you want to
hasten your Lord’s command?’
He threw down the Tablets and
seized his brother by the head,
pulling him towards himself.
Aaron said, ‘Son of my mother,
the people oppressed me and
almost killed me. Do not give
my enemies cause to gloat over
me. Do not number me among
the wrongdoers.’ 151 He said, ‘My
Lord, forgive me and my brother
and admit us to Your mercy. You
are the Most Merciful of the
merciful.’152 Those who took to
worshipping the calf will be
afflicted by their Lord’s wrath,
and be disgraced in the life of
this world. This is the way We
requite those who invent
falsehoods. 153 As for those who
committed evils, and thereafter
repented and believed, they shall
find your Lord forgiving and
merciful.154 When his anger had
subsided, Moses took up the
Tablets upon which was inscribed
a pledge of guidance and mercy
for those who fear their Lord.155 And Moses chose from his
people seventy men for Our
appointment. When they were
seized with violent quaking, he
prayed, ‘O my Lord! If it had
been Your will, You could have
destroyed both them and me
long ago. But would You destroy
us for the deeds of the foolish
ones among us? This is no more
than Your trial: by it You cause
whom You will to stray, and You
123 The Heights 7:155
lead whom You will to the right
path. You are our Protector.
Forgive us, therefore, and have
mercy on us, for You are the best
of those who forgive. 156 Grant
us good things, both in this life
and in the hereafter. To You
alone we turn.’ He replied, ‘As
for My punishment, I smite with
it anyone I will. But My mercy
encompasses all things. I shall
prescribe it for those who do
their duty, pay the zakat and who
believe in Our signs. 157 Also
for those who follow the
Messenger—the unlettered
prophet they find described in
the Torah that is with them, and
in the Gospel—who commands
them to do right and forbids
them to do wrong, who makes
good things lawful to them and
bad things unlawful, who will
relieve them of their burdens
and of the shackles that weigh
upon them. Those that believe in
him and honour him, those that
aid him and follow the light sent
down with him, shall surely
triumph.’158 Say, ‘People, I am God’s
Messenger to you all, He has
sovereignty over the heavens and
the earth. There is no god but
Him. He ordains life and death,
so believe in God and His
Messenger, the unlettered
prophet who believes in God
and His words. Follow him so
that you may be rightly guided.’159 Yet there is a group among
the people of Moses who guide
with truth and act justly in
accordance with it.160 We divided them up into
twelve tribes, each a whole
community, and We revealed Our
will to Moses, when his people
asked for water, saying, ‘Strike
the rock with your staff.’ Twelve
springs gushed from it and each
tribe knew its drinking place. We
caused the clouds to draw their
shadow over them and sent down
for them manna and quails,
saying, ‘Eat the good things We
have given you.’ They did not
wrong Us; rather it was
themselves they wronged.161 When they were told, ‘Settle
down in the town and eat
wherever you wish in it, and
7:156 Al-A‘raf 124
pray for forgiveness and enter
the gate in humility: We shall
forgive you your sins and shall
bestow further favours upon
those who do good,’ 162 the
transgressors among them
substituted something else for
the word they had been given.
So We sent them a punishment
from heaven for their
wrongdoing.163 Ask them about the town
which was by the sea and what
befell its people when they broke
the Sabbath. On their Sabbath
the fish came to them near the
surface, but on week-days they
never came near them—thus We
tried them because of their
disobedience. 164 When some of
them asked, ‘Why do you
admonish a people whom God is
going to destroy or to afflict with
a severe punishment?’ They
answered, ‘In order to be free
from blame before your Lord,
and that they may perhaps fear
Him.’165 Therefore when they forgot
what they had been reminded of,
We saved those who had tried to
prevent the doing of evil. And
We meted out a severe
punishment to the transgressors
because they were rebellious.166 And then, when they
disdainfully persisted in doing
what they had been forbidden to
do, We said to them, ‘Be as apes,
despised!’167 Then your Lord declared
that, until the Day of
Resurrection, He would send
others against them to inflict
terrible suffering on them. Your
Lord is swift in retribution; yet
surely He is most forgiving and
merciful. 168 We split them up
into sections on the earth. Some
of them are righteous while some
of them are otherwise, and We
tested them with blessings and
misfortunes, so that they might
return to the right path.169 They were succeeded by
generations who inherited the
Scripture and took to the fleeting
gains of this world, saying, ‘We
shall certainly be forgiven.’ If
there came to them similar
fleeting gains again, they would
take them. Was a pledge not
125 The Heights 7:169
taken from them, written in the
Scripture, that they would not
say anything but the truth about
God? And they have studied
whatever is in it. Surely the
Home of the Hereafter is better
for those who fear Him. Will you
not understand? 170 As for those
who hold fast to the Book and
are steadfast in prayer, We shall
not deny the righteous their
reward. 171 When We suspended
the mountain over them as if it
were a canopy, and they thought
it was going to fall down on
them, We said, ‘Hold on firmly
to what We have given you and
remember what is in it, so that
you may remain conscious of
God.’172 When your Lord brought
forth offspring from the loins of
the Children of Adam and made
them bear witness about
themselves, He said, ‘Am I not
your Lord?’ They replied, ‘We
bear witness that You are.’ This
He did, lest you should say on
the Day of Resurrection, ‘We
had no knowledge of that.’ 173 Or
lest you say, ‘Our forefathers
associated others with God
before our time, and we are only
the descendants who came after
them. So are You going to destroy
us for what those inventors of
falsehood did?’ 174 We explain
Our signs in detail thus, so that
perhaps they may return to Us.175 Recite to them the tale of
the man to whom We gave Our
signs, but who then cast them to
one side and Satan overtook
him. And he became one of
those who went astray—176 if it
had been Our will, We could
have used these signs to exalt
him, but instead he clung to the
earth and followed his own
desires—he was like a dog that
pants whether you chase it away
or leave it alone. Such are those
who reject Our signs. Tell them
this story so that they may reflect.177 How evil is the case of those
who deny Our signs. They only
wrong themselves: 178 anyone
whom God guides has been
rightly guided; while those He
lets go astray will surely be the
losers.179 We created many of the
7:170 Al-A‘raf 126
jinn and mankind for hell. They
have hearts they do not
understand with; they have eyes
they do not see with; and they
have ears they do not hear with.
Such people are like cattle—no,
they are even more misguided.
Such are the heedless. 180 God
has the Most Excellent Names.
Call on Him by His Names and
keep away from those who distort
them. They shall be requited for
what they do. 181 Of those We
have created there are some who
give true guidance and act justly.182 We shall gradually seize those
who reject Our signs from a
place they do not recognize.183 For though I give them rein
for a while, My strategy is sure.184 Have they not reflected that
their companion is not mad? He
is only a plain warner. 185 Have
they not looked into the realms
of the heavens and the earth and
all that God created, and seen
that the end of their time might
be near? What will they believe
in if they do not believe in this?186 No one can guide those whom
God lets go astray: He leaves
them blundering about in their
arrogance. 187 They ask you
[Prophet] about the Last Hour,
‘When will it come?’ Say,
‘Knowledge about it rests only
with my Lord; He alone will
reveal when its time will come,
it lies heavy on the heavens and
the earth: it will suddenly
overtake you.’ They will put
questions to you as though you
had full knowledge of it. Say,
‘Knowledge about it rests only
with God, though most people
do not realize it.’ 188 Say, ‘I myself
have no power to benefit or do
harm, save as God pleases. If I
had knowledge of the unseen, I
would have availed myself of an
abundance of good, and no harm
would have touched me. I am
but a warner and a bearer of
good tidings for those who will
believe.’189 It was He who created you
from a single soul, and from it
made its mate so that he may
find comfort in her. Once he has
covered her, she conceives and
goes about with a light burden.
When it grows heavy, they both
127 The Heights 7:189
call to God, their Lord, ‘If You
bestow on us a healthy child, we
will surely be grateful,’ 190 yet
when He grants them a healthy
child, they begin to ascribe to
others a share in the gift they
have received. But God is far
above what they associate with
Him! 191 Do they associate with
Him those who create nothing
and are themselves created?192 They can give them no help,
nor can they help themselves.193 It makes no difference
whether you call on them or
remain silent. If you call them to
the right path, they will not follow
you. 194 Those whom you call on
besides God are but creatures
like yourselves. Call upon them,
then, and let them respond to
you, if what you say is true.195 Have they feet to walk with?
Have they hands to hold with?
Have they eyes to see with?
Have they ears to hear with? Say,
‘Call upon those you associate
with God as partners, then all of
you contrive against me and give
me no respite. 196 My protector
is God who sent down the Book,
for it is He who protects the
righteous. 197 Those whom you
call on besides Him have no
power to help you, nor can they
help themselves.’ 198 If you call
them to the right path, they will
not hear you. You find them
looking towards you, but they do
not see you.199 Be tolerant; enjoin what is
right; and avoid the ignorant.200 If an evil impulse from Satan
provokes you, seek refuge with
God; He is all hearing, and all
knowing. 201 When any evil
suggestion from Satan touches
those who fear God, they are
instantly alerted and become
watchful; 202 but the followers
of devils are led relentlessly into
error by them. They never desist.203 When you do not bring
them a sign, they say, ‘Why do
you not invent one?’ Say, ‘I
follow only what is revealed to
me by my Lord. This Book is an
enlightenment from your Lord
and a guide and mercy to true
believers. 204 When the Quran
is read, listen to it with
attention, and hold your peace,
7:190 Al-A‘raf 128
8 . T H E S P O I L S O F WA R ( AL-ANFA L )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
so that you may receive
mercy. 205 Remember your Lord
deep in your very soul, in all
humility and awe, without raising
your voice, morning and
evening—do not be one of the
heedless—206 [even] the ones
[angels] who live in the presence
of your Lord are not too proud
to worship Him: they glorify
Him and prostrate themselves
before Him.
1 They ask you about the spoils
of war. Say, ‘They belong to God
and His Messenger. So fear God,
and set things right among
yourselves, and obey God and
His Messenger, if you are true
believers: 2 true believers are
those whose hearts tremble with
awe at the mention of God, and
whose faith grows stronger as
they listen to His revelations.
They are those who put their
trust in their Lord, 3 who pray
regularly and give in alms out of
what We have provided for
them.4 Such are the true
believers. They have a high
standing with their Lord, His
forgiveness and an honourable
provision made for them.
5 As it was your Lord who
rightfully brought you forth from
your house, even though some
of the believers disliked it, 6 and
they disputed with you
concerning the truth after it had
become manifest, as though they
were being driven to their death
with open eyes. 7 God promised
you that one of the two parties
would fall to you, and you wished
that the one without sting should
be yours, but God wanted to
establish the truth by His words
and cut off the root of those who
denied the truth—8 so that He
might prove the truth to be true
and the false to be false, however
much the wrongdoers might
dislike it.
129 The Spoils of War 8:8
9 When you prayed to your
Lord for help, He answered, ‘I
am sending to your aid a thousand
angels in succession.’ 10 God only
did this to give you good news,
and so that your hearts might be
set at rest, for help comes from
God alone. Surely, God is Mighty
and Wise. 11 He brought
drowsiness upon you to give you
His reassurance and sent down
water from the sky upon you, so
that He might thereby purify you
and remove Satan’s pollution
from you, and make your hearts
strong and your feet firm.12 When your Lord commanded
the angels, saying, ‘I am with
you, so make those who believe
stand firm. I will instill fear in
the hearts of those who deny the
truth: so strike their necks and
strike all their finger joints!’a
13 That was because they defied
God and His Messenger. He who
defies God and His Messenger
shall be severely punished by
God. 14 That is your punishment,
taste it then; and know that for
those who deny the truth there is
the punishment of the Fire.
15 Believers, when you meet in
battle those who deny the truth,
never turn your backs on them:16 whoever turns his back on
such an occasion, unless it be as
a stratagem of war, or in an
endeavour to join another group
[of the believers] will indeed
draw down upon himself the
wrath of God, and Hell shall be
his abode and the worst indeed is
that destination.17 You did not kill them; it was
God who killed them; and when
you [Prophet] threw [sand] at
them it was not you, but God
who threw it so that He might
confer on the believers a great
favour from Himself. Surely, God
is all hearing, all-knowing—18 that is what happened—and
God will surely undermine the
design of those who deny the
truth. 19 If you were seeking a
judgement, a judgement has now
come to you. If you desist, it will
be the better for you. But if you
return [to hostility] We too will
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
8:9 Al-Anfal 130
return. And your host will avail
you naught, however numerous
it may be, and [know] that surely
God is with the believers.20 Believers, obey God and His
Messenger, and do not turn away
from him now that you have
heard all. 21 Do not be like those
who say, ‘We hear,’ but pay no
heed to what they hear—22 the
worst creatures in God’s eyes are
those who are deaf and dumb,
and who possess no
understanding. 23 If God had
found any good in them, He
would certainly have made them
hear; but being as they are, even
if He makes them hear, they will
turn away in aversion.24 Believers, obey God and the
Messenger when he calls you to
that which gives you life. Know
that God stands between man
and his heart, and you shall all be
gathered in His presence. 25 And
beware of an affliction that will
not smite exclusively those
among you who have done
wrong. Know that God is severe
in exacting retribution.26 Remember when you were
few in number and were
accounted weak in the land, ever
fearing the onslaught of your
enemies, but He provided you
with shelter, and supported you
with His help and provided you
with good things, so that you
might be grateful. 27 Do not
betray God and His Messenger,
and do not knowingly violate
your trusts. 28 Know that your
wealth and children are a trial
and that there is an immense
reward with God.29 Believers, if you fear God,
He will grant you the ability to
discriminate between right and
wrong, and will forgive you your
sins: for God is limitless in His
great bounty. 30 Remember how
those who bent on denying the
truth plotted against you to
imprison you or kill you or expel
you: they schemed—but God
also schemed. God is the best of
schemers.31 Whenever Our revelations
are recited to them, they say, ‘We
have heard them. If we wished,
we could produce the like. They
are nothing but the fables of the
131 The Spoils of War 8:31
ancients.’ 32 They also said, ‘God,
if this really is the truth from
You, then rain down upon us
stones from heaven, or send us
some other painful punishment.’33 But God would not punish
them while you [Prophet] were
in their midst, nor would He
punish them so long as they
sought forgiveness. 34 Yet why
should God not punish them
when they debar people from the
Sacred Mosque, although they
are not its guardians? Its rightful
guardians are those who fear
God, though most of them do
not realize it. 35 Their prayers at
the Sacred House are nothing
but whistling and clapping of
hands. ‘So taste the punishment
because of your denial.’36 Those who are bent on
denying the truth are spending
their wealth in debarring others
from the path of God. They will
continue to spend it in this way
till, in the end, this spending will
become a source of intense regret
for them, and then they will be
overcome. And those who denied
the truth will be gathered together
in Hell. 37 So that God may
separate the bad from the good,
He will heap the wicked one
upon another and then cast them
into Hell. These will surely be
the losers.38 Tell those who are bent on
denying the truth that if they
desist, their past shall be
forgiven, but if they persist in
sin, they have an example in the
fate of those who went before.39 Fight them until there is no
more [religious] persecution,a
and religion belongs wholly to
God: if they desist, then surely
God is watchful of what they do,40 but if they turn away, know
that God is your Protector; the
Best of Protectors and the Best
of Helpers!41 Know that one-fifth of your
battle gains belongs to God and
the Messenger, to his close
relatives and orphans, to the
needy and travellers, if you
believe in God and the revelation
We sent down to Our servant on
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
8:32 Al-Anfal 132
the Decisive Day, the day when
the two forces met. God has
power over all things.42 You were on the nearer side
of the valley, and they were on
the farther side, and the caravan
was below you. Had you wished
to set a time by mutual
agreement, you would certainly
have disagreed on the timing.
However, the encounter took
place, so that God might settle a
matter which had already been
ordained, so that he who was to
perish might perish after clear
evidence of the truth, and he
who was to live might live in
clear evidence of the truth.
Surely, God is all hearing and
all-knowing. 43 God showed
them to you in your dream as
small in number. If He had shown
them to you as many, you would
have lost heart and disputed
about the matter; but God saved
you. He has full knowledge of
what is in the human heart.44 When at the time of your
encounter He made them appear
few in your eyes, and made you
appear few in their eyes, it was
so that God might bring about
that which had been decreed.
Everything returns to God.45 Believers! When you
encounter a party, remain firm
and remember God much, so
that you may succeed. 46 Obey
God and His Messenger, and
avoid dissension, lest you falter
and are no longer held in awe.
Have patience: God is with those
who are patient. 47 Do not be like
those who left their homes full
of conceit and showing off to
others. They debar others from
the path of God: but God has
knowledge of all their actions.48 Satan made their deeds seem
fair to them and said, ‘None of
the people shall prevail against
you this day; I shall be your
protector!’ But when the two
forces came in sight of each
other, he turned on his heels,
saying, ‘This is where I leave
you: I see what you do not, and
I fear God—God is severe in His
punishment.’ 49 The hypocrites
and those whose hearts were
perverted said, ‘These people
[the believers] must be deluded
133 The Spoils of War 8:49
by their religion.’ But he who
places his trust in God [knows
that], God is Almighty and Wise.50 If you could see, when the
angels take the souls of those
who are bent on denying the
truth [at death], how they strike
their faces and backs: saying
‘Taste the punishment of the
Burning! 51 This is the
punishment for what your hands
committed—for, God never does
the least wrong to His servants.’52 Like Pharaoh’s people and
those that have gone before them,
they rejected God’s signs and
God seized them for their sins.
God is strong, and severe in
punishment! 53 God would never
withdraw a favour that He had
conferred upon a people unless
they change what is in their
hearts. God is all hearing and all-
knowing. 54 Like Pharaoh’s
people and those who went
before them, they denied their
Lord’s signs: We destroyed them
for their sins, and We drowned
Pharaoh’s people—they were all
evil-doers.55 The worst creatures in the
sight of God are those who reject
Him and will not believe; 56 those
with whom you have made a
covenant, and who break their
covenant on every occasion and
have no fear [of God]. 57 Should
you encounter them in war, then
deal with them in such a manner
that those that follow them
should abandon their designs
and may take warning. 58 And if
you learn of treachery on the part
of any people, throw their treaty
back at them, so as to be on equal
terms, for God does not love the
treacherous.59 Let not the deniers think
that they will ever get away.
They cannot frustrate [God’s
purpose]. They have not the
power to do so. 60 Prepare any
strength you can muster against
them, and any cavalry with which
you can overawe God’s enemy
and your own enemy as well,
and others besides them whom
you do not know, but who are
known to God. Anything you
spend in the way of God will be
repaid to you in full. You will not
be wronged. 61 Then if they
8:50 Al-Anfal 134
should be inclined to make peace,
make peace with them, and put
your trust in God. Surely, it is He
who is All Hearing and All
Knowing. 62 Should they seek to
deceive you, God is enough for
you: it was He who strengthened
you with His help, and rallied
the faithful around you, and
bound their hearts together.63 Even if you had spent all that
is on the earth, you could
not have bound their hearts
together, but God has bound
them together. Surely, He is
Mighty and Wise.64 O Prophet! God is sufficient
for you and the believers who
follow you. 65 Prophet, urge the
believers to fight;a if there are
twenty of you who are steadfast,
they will overcome two hundred,
and if there are a hundred of you,
they will overcome a thousand
of those who deny the truth, for
they are devoid of understanding.66 God has now lightened your
burden, for He knows that there
is weakness in you. If there are a
hundred of you who are steadfast,
they will overcome two hundred;
and if there are a thousand of
you, they will overcome two
thousand by God’s will. God is
with the steadfast.67 It is not right for a Prophet
to keep captives unless he has
battled strenuously in the land.
You desire the gain of this world,
while God desires for you the
Hereafter—God is mighty and
wise. 68 Had it not been for a writ
from God that had already gone
forth, you would have been
severely punished on account of
what you took. 69 So eat of that
which you have gained in war as
lawful and good, and fear God.
Surely, God is most forgiving
and merciful.70 Prophet, tell those you have
taken captive: ‘If God knows of
any good in your hearts, He will
give you something better than
what has been taken from you,
and He will forgive you: God is
Forgiving and Merciful.’ 71 And
if they would betray you, they
betrayed God before, and He
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
135 The Spoils of War 8:71
gave [you] power over them.
God is aware and wise.72 Those who have believed
and migrated and struggled for
God’s cause with their
possessions and persons, and
those who have given refuge and
help, are the friends and
protectors of one another. But as
for those who have come to
believe without having migrated
—you are in no way responsible
for their protection until they
migrate. If they seek your help in
the matter of religion, it is
incumbent on you to help them,
except against a people with
whom you have a pact. God sees
what you do. 73 Those who deny
the truth support one another. If
you fail to do likewise, there will
be great disorder and corruption
in the land.74 Those who have believed
and migrated and striven for the
cause of God, as well as those
who have given them refuge and
support, are the true believers;
they shall have forgiveness and
an honourable provision. 75 And
those who have believed later
on, and emigrated and struggled
for God’s sake alongside you are
also a part of you. But as to
blood relations, they are nearer
one to another in the Book of
God. God has full knowledge of
all things.
9 . R E P E N TA N C E ( A L - T AWBAH )
1 This is a declaration of
immunity from God and His
Messenger to the polytheists,
with whom you had made
agreements. 2 So go about in the
land for four months, but know
that you cannot frustrate the plan
of God and that God will disgrace
those who deny the truth. 3 This
is a proclamation from God and
His Messenger to the people on
the day of the Pilgrimage, that
God is free of all obligation to
the polytheists, and so is His
Messenger. If you repent, it will
be better for you, but if you turn
away, then know that you cannot
frustrate the plan of God.
8:72 Al-Anfal 136
Proclaim a grievous punishment
to those who are bent on denying
the truth. 4 As for those who
have honoured the treaty you
made with them and who have
not supported anyone against
you: fulfill your agreement with
them to the end of their term.
God loves those who are
righteous.5 When the forbidden months
have passed, kill the polytheists
[who are at war with you]
wherever you find them.a Take
them captive, and besiege them,
and lie in wait for them at every
place of ambush. But if they
repent, and take to prayer
regularly and pay the alms, then
let them go their way. God is
forgiving and merciful. 6 If any
one of the polytheists seeks
asylum with you, grant him
asylum so that he may hear the
word of God; then convey him to
a place of safety. That is because
they are a people who have no
knowledge.7 How can there be a treaty
with the polytheists on the part
of God and His Messenger,
except for those with whom you
entered into a treaty at the Sacred
Mosque? As long as they act
straight with you, act straight
with them. God loves those who
are righteous. 8 How [can there
be a treaty] for, if they get the
upper hand over you, they will
respect neither kinship nor
covenant. They [try to] please
you with their tongues but their
hearts reject you; most of them
are perfidious. 9 They have sold
God’s revelations for a paltry
price, and barred others from
His path. How evil is what they
have been doing! 10 Where
believers are concerned, they
respect no tie of kinship or treaty.
They are people who overstep
the limits. 11 If they repent and
keep up their prayers and pay the
alms, then they are your brethren
in faith. We make Our messages
clear for people who are willing
to learn.12 But if they break faith after
pledging it and revile your
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
137 Repentance 9:12
religion, then fight these leaders
of unbelief, so that they may
desist, for they have no regard
for their pledged word. 13 Will
you not fight against those who
have broken their oaths and
conspired to banish the
Messenger? They were the first
to attack you. Do you fear them?
Surely God is more deserving of
your fear, if you are true
believers. 14 Fight them: God will
punish them at your hands, and
will disgrace them. He will help
you to overcome them and heal
the hearts of the faithful; 15 He
will remove the rage from their
hearts. God will turn in His
mercy to whom He wills. God is
all knowing and wise.16 Do you [O believers] think
that you will be spared without
God identifying which of you
have struggled and did not take
anyone for friends and protectors
except God, His Messenger, and
the believers? God is fully aware
of all your actions.17 It is not right that the
polytheists should frequent
God’s places of worship while
they are self-confessed
unbelievers. It is they whose
works shall come to nothing and
they shall abide in Hell. 18 Only
he should tend God’s houses of
worship who believes in God
and the Last Day, and is constant
in prayer, and spends in charity,
and stands in awe of none but
God: such people may hope to
be among the rightly guided.19 Do you regard giving water to
pilgrims and tending the Sacred
Mosque as being equal to the
deeds of those who believe in
God and the Last Day and who
strive in God’s path? They are
not equal in the sight of God.
God does not guide such unjust
people. 20 Those who have
believed and have migrated, and
have striven for God’s sake with
their possessions and persons,
stand much higher in God’s
esteem. It is they who will
triumph; 21 their Lord gives them
the good news of His mercy and
His pleasure and gardens of
eternal bliss. 22 There they will
dwell for ever. Truly there is an
immense reward with God.
9:13 Al-Tawbah 138
23 Believers, do not take your
fathers and your brothers for
allies if they choose denial of
truth in preference to faith. Those
among you who ally themselves
with them are wrongdoers.24 Say, ‘If your fathers and your
sons and your brothers and your
spouses and your tribe, and the
worldly goods which you have
acquired, and the commerce
which you fear will decline, and
the homes you love are dearer to
you than God and His Messenger
and the struggle for His cause,
then wait until God fulfills His
decree. God does not guide the
disobedient people.’25 Indeed, God has helped you
on many occasions. On the day
of Hunayn, when you took pride
in your great numbers, they
proved of no avail to you—for
the earth, despite all its vastness,
became [too] narrow for you and
you turned back, in retreat. 26 God
caused His tranquillity to descend
upon His Messenger and the
faithful: and sent down forces
which you did not see: He
punished those who denied the
truth—for such is the recompense
of all who deny the truth—27 then
after that, God will turn in His
mercy to whom He wills: God is
forgiving and merciful.28 Believers, know that the
polytheists are impure,a so they
should not approach the Sacred
Mosque after this year onwards.
If you should fear destitution,
God will enrich you out of His
bounty, if He so wishes. God is
aware and wise.29 Fight those from among the
People of the Book who believe
neither in God, nor in the Last
Day, nor hold as unlawful what
God and His Messenger have
declared to be unlawful, nor
follow the true religion, until
they pay the tax willingly and
agree to submit. 30 The [ancient]
Jews [used to] say, ‘Ezra is the
son of God,’ and the Christians
say, ‘The Messiah is the son of
God.’ These are but their baseless
utterances. They imitate the
assertions made in earlier times
139 Repentance 9:30
a The word impure (najas) connotes
spiritual, not physical impurity.
by those who deny the truth.
May God destroy them! How far
astray they have been led!31 They have taken their
learned men and their monks for
their lords besides God. So have
they taken the Messiah, son of
Mary, although they were
commanded to worship only the
One God. There is no deity but
He. He is far above whatever
they set up as His partners!32 They want to extinguish
God’s light with their mouths,
but God seeks only to perfect
His light, no matter how those
who deny the truth may abhor it.33 It is He who has sent His
Messenger with guidance and
the religion of Truth, so that He
may make it prevail
[ideologically] over every other
religion, however much the
polytheists may hate this.34 Believers, many religious
scholars and monks wrongfully
appropriate people’s possessions
and turn people away from God’s
path! Tell those who hoard gold
and silver instead of giving in
God’s cause that they will have
a painful punishment: 35 on the
Day their treasure is heated up in
the fire of hell, their foreheads
and their sides and their backs
shall be branded with it, and they
will be told, ‘This is what you
hoarded up for yourselves. Taste
then what you were hoarding.’36 On the Day God created
heaven and earth, He decreed
that the number of months should
be twelve in number. Out of
these, four are sacred. That is the
true religion. Do not wrong your
souls in these months. Fight the
polytheists all together, as they
fight you all together,a and know
that God is with the righteous.37 The postponing of [sacred
months] is but one more instance
of [their] refusal to acknowledge
the truth—by which those who
are bent on denying the truth are
led astray. They declare this to be
permissible in one year and
forbidden in another year, so
that they may adjust the months
which God has sanctified, thus
making lawful what God has
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
9:31 Al-Tawbah 140
forbidden. Their evil deed seems
fair to them: God does not guide
those who deny the truth.38 Believers, what is the matter
with you that when you are asked
to go forth in the cause of God,
you cling slothfully to the land?
Do you prefer the life of this
world to the Hereafter? But little
is the comfort of this life,
compared to that of the Hereafter.39 If you do not go forth, He will
punish you sternly and replace
you by other people. You will
not harm Him in the least. God
has power over all things. 40 If
you do not support him
[Muhammad], know that God
did support him when those who
denied the truth expelled him
when the two of them were in
the cave, he [Muhammad] told
his companion, ‘Do not worry;
for God is with us.’ So God sent
His tranquillity down on him
and aided him with forces
invisible to you and placed the
word of those who disbelieved
lowest, while God’s word
remained supreme. God is powerful
and wise.
41 Go forth, whether lightly or
heavily equipped, and strive and
struggle, with your goods and
your persons, for the cause of
God. That is better for you, if
you only knew. 42 Had the gain
been immediate and the journey
shorter, they would have
followed you: but the distance
seemed too great for them. Yet
they will swear by God, ‘Had we
been able, we would have gone
out with you.’ They bring ruin
upon themselves. God knows
that they are surely lying.43 May God pardon you! Why
did you permit them to do so
before it had become clear to
you which ones were truthful, so
that you might recognize the
liars? 44 Those who believe in
God and the Last Day will never
ask you to exempt them from
striving with their wealth and
their lives—God best knows the
righteous— 45 only those seek
exemption who do not truly
believe in God and the Last Day,
and whose hearts have become a
prey to doubt. Because they
doubt, they waver. 46 If they had
141 Repentance 9:46
wished to go forth, they would
surely have made some
preparation for it, but God
disliked their setting out [and
being raised high in God’s eyes]
and held them back. They were
told to stay behind with those
who stay behind.47 Had they gone forth with
you, they would only have proved
a source of evil for you, and
would have run back and forth
among you, seeking to sow
discord among you: and among
you there were some who would
have willingly listened to them.
God knows the evil-doers.48 They have already tried to sow
dissension, and hatched plots
against you, until the truth
became manifest and God’s will
prevailed, much to their disgust.49 Some of them say, ‘Give us
leave to stay behind and do not
put us to trial.’ Surely, they have
already fallen into trial. Surely,
Hell shall engulf those who deny
the truth. 50 If good befalls you,
it grieves them, but if a
misfortune befalls you, they say,
‘We took our precautions
beforehand!’ They turn away
rejoicing. 51 Say, ‘Nothing can
befall us, except what God has
ordained for us. He is our
Supreme Lord. In God let the
faithful put their trust.’ 52 Say,
‘Are you waiting for anything to
befall us except one of the two
best things [Victory in this world
or Paradise in the next]? But we
expect that God will send His
punishment to you either directly
from Himself, or by our hands.
So wait, if you will; we too, are
waiting with you.’53 Say, ‘Whether you give
willingly or unwillingly, your
offerings shall not be accepted
by God, for you are indeed a
disobedient people.’ 54 The only
reason their contributions are
not accepted is that they have
denied God and His Messenger,
they come to the prayer half
heartedly, and they offer
contributions unwillingly. 55 Do
not let their wealth and children
impress you. For God seeks to
punish them through these things
in the life of this world, so that
their souls shall depart while
9:47 Al-Tawbah 142
they are still denying the truth.56 They swear by God that they
are believers like you; but they
are not. They are afraid [to appear
in their true colours]: 57 if they
could find a place of refuge, or
a cave or any hiding-place, they
would run there with frantic
haste.58 Among them there are some
who find fault with you
concerning the distribution of
alms. If a share is given to them,
they are pleased, but if they
receive nothing, they grow
resentful. 59 If only they had been
content with what God and His
Messenger had given them and
had said, ‘God is sufficient for
us. God will give us out of His
bounty, and so will His
Messenger. To God alone do we
turn with hope!’ 60 Alms are only
for: the poor and the destitute,
for those who collect zakat, for
conciliating people’s hearts, for
freeing slaves, for those in debt,
for spending for God’s cause,
and for travellers in need. It is a
legal obligation enjoined by God.
God is all-knowing and wise.
61 Among them are those who
vex the Prophet by saying, ‘He
listens to everyone.’ Say, ‘His
listening to everyone is good for
you; he believes in God and puts
his trust in the faithful, and is a
mercy to those of you who
believe. Those who annoy God’s
Messenger shall have a painful
punishment.’ 62 They swear by
God in order to please you
[believers]: but it would be more
fitting for them to please God
and His Messenger, if they are
believers. 63 Do they not know
that whoever opposes God and
His Messenger shall abide
forever in the fire of Hell? That
is the supreme humiliation.64 The hypocrites are afraid
lest a chapter [of the Quran] be
sent down about them, telling
them what is in their hearts—
say, ‘Go on mocking. God will
surely bring to light what you are
dreading.’ 65If you ask them,
they will say, ‘We were only
joking and playing with words.’
Say, ‘Would you make a mockery
of God and of His Revelations
and of His Messenger? 66 Make
143 Repentance 9:66
no excuses; you rejected the faith
after you accepted it.’ If We
pardon some of you, We will
punish others amongst you, for
they are guilty.’67 The hypocrites, both men
and women, are all alike. They
enjoin what is evil, forbid what
is right and they are niggardly
when it comes to spending for
the cause of God. They have
forgotten God, so He has
forgotten them. The hypocrites
are the disobedient ones. 68 God
has promised the hypocrites, both
men and women, and those who
deny the truth, the Fire of Hell.
They shall abide in it forever.
That is a sufficient recompense
for them. God has rejected them.
They shall have everlasting
punishment. 69 Like those before
you who were stronger than you,
possessed more wealth and
children; they enjoyed their share
in this life as you have enjoyed
yours; like them, you have
indulged in idle talk. It is they
whose works shall come to
nothing in this world and in the
life to come—and it is they who
shall be the losers. 70 Have they
never heard the stories about
their predecessors, the peoples
of Noah, ‘Ad, Thamud,
Abraham, Midian, and of the
ruined cities? Their messengers
brought them clear evidence of
the truth. It was not God who
wronged them; they wronged
themselves.71 The believers, both men and
women, are friends to each other;
they enjoin what is good and
forbid evil, they attend to their
prayers and pay the alms and
obey God and His Messenger.
On these God will have mercy,
for God is almighty and wise.72 God has promised the
believers, both men and women,
Gardens through which rivers
flow, wherein they will abide,
and fine dwelling places in
Gardens of eternity. But the good
pleasure of God is greater still.
That is the supreme achievement.73 O Prophet, strive against
those who deny the truth and the
hypocrites, and be firm against
them. Their abode shall be Hell:
an evil destination. 74 They swear
9:67 Al-Tawbah 144
by God that they did not, yet they
uttered the words of denial of
truth after they had accepted
Islam. They meditated a plot
which they were unable to carry
out, and being spiteful was their
only response to God, who had
enriched them out of His bounty,
and to His Messenger. If they
repent, it will indeed be better
for them. If they turn away, God
will punish them with grievous
suffering in this world and the
Hereafter, and there will be
no one on earth to protect or
help them.75 There are some among
them who pledged themselves
to God, saying, ‘If God gives
us something out of His
bounty, we shall certainly
give alms and be righteous,’76 but when He bestowed His
favours on them they grew
niggardly, and turned away in
aversion. 77 So He caused
hypocrisy to settle in their hearts
until the Day of their meeting
with Him, because they broke
their word to God, and because
they lied. 78 Do they not know
that God knows what they
conceal and what they talk about
in secret? That God knows all
that is hidden?79 As for those who ridicule
such believers as give alms freely
for the sake of God and taunt
those who find nothing to give
save that which they earn through
their toil, God will cause their
ridicule to rebound on them:
they shall have a painful
punishment. 80 It is the same
whether or not you ask
forgiveness for them. Even if
you ask forgiveness for them
seventy times, God will not
forgive them, for they have
denied God and His Messenger.
God does not guide the evil-
doers.81 Those who stayed at home
were glad that they were left
behind by God’s Messenger.
They hated the thought of striving
for God’s cause with their
possessions and their persons.
They said, ‘Do not go forth in
this heat.’ Say, ‘The Fire of Hell
is far hotter.’ If only they could
understand. 82 Let them laugh a
145 Repentance 9:82
little and weep much in return
for their misdeeds. 83 So
[Prophet], if God brings you
back to a group of them, and
should they ask your leave to go
forth with you, say, ‘You shall
never go forth with me and shall
never fight an enemy with me.
You chose to sit at home the first
time, so sit now with those who
remain behind.’ 84 And never [O
Muhammad] pray for one of
them who dies, nor stand by his
grave. For they denied God and
His Messenger, and died
rebellious.85 Do not let their wealth and
their children dazzle you. God
only wants to punish them
through these things in this
world, and let their souls depart
while they deny the truth.86 When a chapter is revealed
enjoining, ‘Believe in God and
strive for the cause of God along
with His Messenger,’ the wealthy
among them ask you to exempt
them saying, ‘Let us stay with
those who are to stay behind.’87 They preferred to be with [the
women], who remained behind
[at home]: their hearts are sealed
and so they do not understand.88 But the Messenger and those
who shared his faith strove hard
with their possessions and their
lives. It is they who shall have all
kinds of good, and it is they who
shall surely prosper. 89 God has
prepared for them Gardens
through which rivers flow, in
which they shall abide forever.
That is the supreme triumph.90 Some of the desert Arabs,
too, came to make excuses,
asking to be granted exemption.
Those who lied to God and His
Messenger stayed behind at
home. Those who denied the
truth among them will be
afflicted with a painful
chastisement, 91 but no blame
shall attach to the weak, the sick,
and those who have no means to
spend, provided they are sincere
to God and His Messenger. There
is no reason to reproach those
who do good deeds; God is most
forgiving and merciful. 92 Nor
[does any blame] attach to those
who came to you to be provided
with mounts, and when you said,
9:83 Al-Tawbah 146
‘I can find no mounts for you,’
they went back, and tears welled
up in their eyes with sadness,
since they could not find
any way to contribute. 93 The
blameworthy are those who are
men of wealth and yet ask for
exemption. They are content to
be with those [women] who stay
behind. God has sealed their
hearts: they do not understand.94 They will make excuses to
you when you return to them.
Say, ‘Do not make excuses, we
will not believe you. God has
already informed us about you.
God will see your actions, as
will His Messenger. Then you
will be returned to the One who
knows the seen and the unseen
and He will tell you all that you
used to do.’ 95 When you return,
they will swear to you by God so
that you may leave them alone,
so leave them alone. They are
unclean, and Hell will be their
home as a reward for their
actions—96 they will swear to
you, so that you may be pleased
with them. But [even] if you are
pleased with them, God is not
pleased with rebellious people.97 The desert Arabs are more
stubborn in their denial of truth
and hypocrisy, and are the least
likely to be aware of the limits
which God has revealed to His
Messenger. God is all knowing
and wise. 98 Some desert Arabs
regard what they give for the
cause of God as a fine and wait
for some misfortune to befall
you. May ill-fortune befall them!
God hears all and knows all.99 There are also those among
them who believe in God and the
Last Day and regard what they
spend for the cause of God as a
means of bringing them nearer
to God and of deserving the
prayers of the Messenger. This
shall certainly be for them a
means of drawing near to God.
God will admit them into His
mercy; God is indeed most
forgiving and merciful.100 As for those who led the
way, the first of the emigrants
and the supporters, as well as
those who nobly followed them,
God is well pleased with them,
and they are well pleased with
147 Repentance 9:100
Him; He has prepared for them
Gardens through which rivers
flow, where they shall dwell
forever. That is the supreme
achievement. 101 Some of the
desert Arabs around you are
hypocrites as are some of the
people of Madinah—they are
obdurate in their hypocrisy. You
do not know them, but We know
them. We shall cause them to suffer
doubly and then they will be
subjected to a great punishment.102 There are others who have
confessed their wrongdoing, who
have done some good deeds and
some bad ones. It is likely that
God will turn to them in mercy.
Surely, God is most forgiving,
merciful. 103 Take alms out of
their wealth to cleanse them and
purify them, and pray for them;
your prayer will be a comfort to
them. God is all hearing, all
knowing. 104 Do they not know
that God accepts the repentance
of His servants and receives their
alms, and that God is the
Forgiving, the Merciful One?105 Say, ‘Do as you will. God
will watch your conduct and so
will His Messenger and the
believers. Soon you will be
brought back to Him who knows
what is hidden and what is
manifest: then He will show you
the truth of all that you have
done.’ 106 [There are yet] others
whose cases are deferred until it
is God’s will to judge them. He
will either punish them, or turn
in mercy to them; God is all
knowing and wise.107 Then there are those who
built a mosque to cause harm, to
spread apostasy and disunity
among the believers—as an
outpost for those who from the
outset warred on God and His
Messenger. They swear, ‘Our
intentions were nothing but
good,’ but God bears witness
that they are lying. 108 Do not set
foot in it. Only a house of
worship, founded from the very
first day upon piety, is worthy of
your setting foot therein. In it are
men who love to be purified and
God loves those who purify
themselves. 109 Who is better, he
who founds his building on the
fear of God and His good
9:101 Al-Tawbah 148
pleasure, or he who builds on the
brink of a crumbling precipice,
so that his house is ready to fall
with him into the Fire of Hell?
God does not guide the
wrongdoers: 110 the building
which they have built will never
cease to be a source of deep
disquiet in their hearts, until
their hearts are cut to pieces.
God is all knowing and wise.111 God has bought from the
believers their lives and their
wealth in return for the Garden.
They fight for the cause of God
and they kill and are killed.a It is
a promise binding on Him in the
Torah, the Gospel and the Quran,
and who is truer to his promise
than God? Rejoice then in the
bargain you have made. That is
the supreme achievement.112 [The believers are] those who
turn to God in repentance; who
worship and praise Him; who go
about in the land serving His
cause, who bow down, who
prostrate themselves, who enjoin
good and forbid evil, and who
observe the limits set by God.
Give good news to the believers!
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
113 It is not proper for the
Prophet and those who believe
to seek forgiveness for
polytheists, even though they
are close relatives, after it has
become clear to them that they
have earned the punishment of
Hell. 114 Abraham’s asking
forgiveness for his father was
only because of a promise he had
made to him, but when it became
clear to him, that he was God’s
enemy, he disassociated himself
from him. Surely, Abraham was
most tender-hearted and
forbearing. 115 God would never
lead a people astray after He has
guided them and until He has
made clear to them what they
should guard against. God has
knowledge of all things;116 surely to God belongs the
kingdom of the heavens and of
the earth. He gives life and death.
You have none besides God to
protect or help you.117 God turned in mercy to the
Prophet, and the emigrants and
149 Repentance 9:117
the helpers who followed him in
the hour of hardship. After the
hearts of a group of them had
almost faltered, He turned
towards them, for He was
compassionate and merciful
towards them. 118 He has turned
with mercy to the three whose
case was deferred, when the
earth, for all its spaciousness,
closed in upon them, and their
own souls seemed straitened to
them and they realised that there
was no refuge from God except
in Him. He turned to them so
that they might turn to Him. God
is the Ever Forgiving, the Most
Merciful.119 Believers, fear God and
stand with the truthful. 120 It was
not proper for the people of
Madinah and those desert Arabs
around them to hold back from
following God’s Messenger, and
to prefer their own lives to his
life. This is because whenever
they suffer from thirst or
weariness or hunger for God’s
cause, and whenever they take
any step which provokes those
who deny the truth, or inflicts
any loss upon the enemy, it shall
be counted as a good deed in the
sight of God—God will not deny
the righteous their reward—121 and whenever they spend
anything [for the sake of God],
be it little or much, and whenever
they traverse the land [in God’s
cause]—it is recorded to their
credit, and God will grant them
the best reward for all that they
have been doing.122 It is not right that all the
believers should go out [in time
of war] all together. Why, then,
does not a party from every
group come to [the Prophet] in
order to acquire a deeper
knowledge of religion and to
warn their people, so that they
can guard themselves against
evil?123 Believers! Fight against
those deniers of the truth who
are near you.a Deal firmly with
them. Know that God is
with those who fear Him.124 Whenever a chapter is sent
9:118 Al-Tawbah 150
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
down, there are some of them
who say, ‘Which of you has had
his faith increased by it?’ But, as
for those who believe, it increases
their faith and they rejoice, 125 but
as for those with sickness in
their hearts, it adds defilement to
their defilement and they die in
a state of denial of truth. 126 Do
they not see that they are tried
every year once or twice? Yet
they do not repent, nor would
they be admonished. 127 Whenever
a chapter is revealed, they glance
at each other, asking, ‘Is anyone
watching?’ Then they turn away.
God has turned their hearts away,
because they are people who do
not understand.128 There has come to you a
Messenger of your own. Your
suffering distresses him: he is
deeply concerned for your
welfare and full of kindness and
mercy towards the believers.129 But if they turn away, say,
‘God suffices me: there is no
deity but He: in Him I have put
my trust. He is the Lord of the
Glorious Throne.’
1 0 . J O N A H ( Y U N U S )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Ra
These are the verses of the Book
of Wisdom. 2 Does it seem
strange to people that We have
sent revelation to a man from
among themselves, saying, ‘Warn
mankind and give glad tidings to
the believers that they have a
true rank [of honour] with their
Lord?’ Those who deny the truth
say, ‘This man is clearly a
sorcerer.’3 Truly, your Lord is God who
created the heavens and the earth
in six days [periods], then He
ascended the Throne, disposing
the whole affair. No one may
intercede with Him save with
His permission. Such is God,
your Lord, so worship Him alone.
Will you not take heed? 4 To Him
151 Jonah 10:4
you shall all return. God’s
promise is true; He originates
Creation, then He restores it, so
that He may reward with justice
those who believe and do good
works. Those who have denied
the truth shall have boiling
water to drink, and a painful
punishment, because of their
denial.5 It is He who made the sun
radiate a brilliant light and the
moon shed its lustre, and
ordained for it stages so that you
may learn to count out the years
and [to make other such]
reckoning of time. God has
not created all these without
a purpose. He makes plain
His revelations to men
of understanding. 6 In the
alternation of night and day, and
in all that God has created in the
heavens and the earth, there are
signs for a God-fearing people.a
7 Those who entertain no hope
of meeting Us, being pleased
and contented with the life of
this world, and those who give
no heed to Our signs, 8 shall
have their abode in the Fire in
requital for their deeds. 9 Those
who believe and do good deeds
will be guided by their Lord
because of their faith. Rivers
shall flow at their feet in the
Gardens of Bliss. 10 In that [state
of happiness] they will call out;
‘Glory be to You, O God!’, while
their greeting in it will be:
‘Peace!’ And the close of their
call will be, ‘All praise is due to
God, the Lord of the Universe!’11 Had God hastened the
punishment of men as He hastens
the good, the end of their term of
life would already have been
reached. We leave those who do
not hope to meet Us groping
along in their arrogance.12 Whenever any trouble befalls
a person, he prays to Us all the
time, lying on his side, sitting or
10:5 Yunus 152
a In the heavens and on the earth,
there are countless signs, but they
serve as a lesson only for those who
are God-fearing. Fear, or apprehension,
is a thing which makes a man serious.
Unless a man is serious, he will not
pay full attention to matters of
importance and will not understand
their various aspects.
standing; but when We remove
his trouble, he goes on his way
as if he had never prayed to Us
for the removal of his trouble.
Thus it is that the doings of the
transgressors are made to look
fair to them.13 And indeed, before your
time We destroyed [whole]
generations when they
[persistently] did evil; their
messengers came to them with
clear signs, but they would not
believe. Thus We requite the
guilty. 14 Then We made you
their successors in the land, so
that We might observe how you
would conduct yourselves.15 When Our clear revelations
are recited to them, those who do
not expect to meet Us say, ‘Bring
us a different Quran, or make
some changes in it.’ Say, ‘It is
not for me to change it of my
own accord. I follow only what
is revealed to me. I fear, if I were
to disobey my Lord, the
punishment on a Dreadful Day.’16 Say, ‘If God had so wished, I
would not have recited it to you,
nor would He have brought it to
your knowledge. Indeed, I have
spent a whole lifetime among
you before it came to me. How
can you not use your reason?’17 Who is more unjust than the
man who invents a falsehood
about God or denies His signs?
Surely, the guilty shall never
prosper.18 Instead of God they worship
what neither harms nor benefits
them, and they say: ‘These are
our intercessors with God.’ Say,
‘Do you inform God about
something in heavens and on
earth that He does not know?
Glory be to Him; may He be
Exalted over whatever they
associate [with Him]!’ 19 Mankind
was only one community, but
then they differed, and had it not
been for a prior word from your
Lord, their differences would have
been settled for them.20 They ask, ‘Why has no sign
been sent down to him from his
Lord?’ Tell them, ‘God alone has
knowledge of the unseen. So
wait; I too will wait with you.’21 Whenever We let mankind
taste mercy after some adversity
153 Jonah 10:21
has afflicted them, they forthwith
turn to devising false arguments
against Our signs. Say, ‘God is
swifter in His devising! Our angels
are recording your intrigues.’22 It is God who enables you to
travel on land and sea. And when
you are sailing on ships and
rejoicing in the favourable wind,
a storm arrives, and the waves
surge upon those on board from
every side and they think they
are encompassed, then they make
a fervent appeal to God, saying
in all sincerity, ‘If You deliver us
from this, we will surely be of
the thankful.’ 23 But when He
has delivered them, they begin,
wrongfully to commit excesses
in the land. O you men, your
excesses only affect your own
selves. Have the enjoyment of
the present life. Then to Us you
shall return; and We will inform
you of all that you have done.24 The life of the world is like
the water which We send down
from the sky, and which is
absorbed by the plants of the
earth, from which men and cattle
eat. But when the earth has taken
on its finest appearance, and
looks beautiful, and its people
think they have it under their
control, then by day or by night,
Our command comes to it and
We convert it into a field of
stubble, as if nothing had existed
there the day before. Thus We
make plain Our revelations for
those who reflect.25 God calls man to the home
of peace and He guides whom
He wills to a straight path.26 Those who do good works
shall have a good reward and
more besides. No darkness and
no ignominy shall cover their
faces. They are destined for
Paradise wherein they shall dwell
forever. 27 But as for those who
have done evil deeds, the
recompense shall be in
proportion. They will have none
to defend them against God.
Ignominy shall cover them, as
though their faces were veiled
by the night’s own darkness. It is
they who are destined for the
fire, where they will live forever.28 On the Day when We gather
them all together, We shall say to
10:22 Yunus 154
those who ascribed partners to
God, ‘Keep to your places, you
and your partners!’ Then We shall
separate them from one another
and their partner-gods will say, ‘It
was not us that you worshipped.29 God suffices as a witness
between us and you. We were
entirely unaware that you
worshipped us.’ 30 Then every
soul shall realize what it has
done. They shall be returned to
God, their true Master, and
anything they had invented will
forsake them.31 Say, ‘Who provides [suste-
nance] for you from heaven and
earth? Who is it who controls the
ears and the eyes? Who brings
forth the living from the dead,
and the dead from the living?
And who governs all affairs?’
They will say, ‘God’. Then say,
‘Will you not then fear Him?32 That is God, your true Lord.
What is there, besides the truth,
but error? How then can you turn
away?’ 33 Thus the Word of your
Lord is proved true against those
who are disobedient. They will
not believe.
34 Ask then, ‘Can any of your
partner-gods originate creation,
and then reproduce it?’ Say, ‘It is
God who originates creation and
then restores it: how then are you
so misled?’ 35 Say, ‘Does any of
your partner-gods guide one to
the Truth?’ Say, ‘It is God who
guides to the truth. Then, is He
who guides to the truth more
worthy to be followed or one
who cannot find the way himself
unless he be guided? What is the
matter with you? How ill you
judge!’ 36 Most of them follow
nothing but mere conjecture. But
conjecture is of no use against
the Truth. God is well aware of
what they do.37 This Quran is not such as
could have been produced by
anyone but God. It fulfills that
[the predictions] which came
before it and gives a fuller
explanation of the [earlier]
Revelations. There is no doubt
about it: it is from the Lord of the
Universe. 38 Do they say, ‘He has
fabricated it?’ Say, ‘Bring me
one chapter like it. Call on whom
you may besides God to help
155 Jonah 10:38
you, if what you say be true!’39 Indeed, they are denying
something which they cannot
comprehend; the reality not yet
having dawned on them.
Likewise those before them
rejected the truth. But see what
was the end of the wrongdoers.40 Some of them will believe
in it [the Quran], while others
will not. And your Lord is fully
aware of the evil-doers. 41 If they
should reject you, say, ‘My deeds
are mine and your deeds are
yours. You are not accountable
for my actions, nor am I
accountable for what you do.’42 Some of them appear to be
listening to you; but can you
make the deaf hear, incapable as
they are of understanding?43 Some of them look fixedly at
you; but can you make the blind
see, bereft as they are of sight?44 Surely, God does not wrong
people at all, but people wrong
themselves.45 And on the Day when He
shall gather them together, it will
seem to them as if they had not
tarried in the world longer than
an hour of a day. They will
recognize one another; lost
indeed will be those who
considered it a lie that they were
destined to meet God, and did
not follow the right path.46 Whether We show you
something of what We have
promised them or cause you to
die [before that], to Us they shall
return. God is Witness to all that
they do.47 Every nation has a
messenger. Once their messenger
has come, judgement will be
passed upon them in all fairness
and they will not be wronged.48 They say, ‘When will this
promise come to pass—if you
speak the truth?’ 49 Say, ‘I have
no control over any harm or
benefit to myself, except by the
will of God. For every people,
however, there is an appointed
term. When the end of their term
arrives, they cannot postpone it
for an hour, nor can they advance
it.’ 50 Say, ‘If His punishment
comes upon you in the dead of
night, or by the light of day, how
will the guilty escape it? 51 Will
10:39 Yunus 156
you believe in it only after it has
overtaken you, although it was
your wish to hurry it on?’ 52 Then
the evil-doers will be told, ‘Taste
the everlasting punishment. Have
you not been rewarded according
to your deeds?’53 They enquire of you if this
will really happen. Tell them,
‘Yes, by my Lord. Most certainly
it will happen, and you cannot
avert it.’ 54 If every wrongdoer
possessed all that was on the
earth, he would seek to ransom
himself with it: when they see
the punishment, they will repent
in secret. But judgement will be
passed upon them in all fairness,
and they will not be wronged.55 Assuredly, everything that is
in the heavens and on the earth
belongs to God. Assuredly, God’s
promise is true. Yet most of them
do not realize it. 56 He gives life
and brings about death, and to
Him you shall all return.57 O mankind! There has come
to you an admonition from your
Lord, a cure for what is in the
hearts, and a guide and a blessing
to true believers. 58 Say, ‘In the
grace and mercy of God let them
rejoice, for these are better than
the worldly riches which they
hoard.’ 59 Say, ‘Have you
considered the provision God
has sent down for you, and have
you made some of it unlawful
and some lawful?’ Say, ‘Has
God given you permission [to do
this], or are you inventing
falsehoods about God?’ 60 What
will they think, those who invent
falsehoods about God, on the
Day of Resurrection? God is
bountiful to men: yet most of
them are not grateful.61 In whatever activity you may
be engaged, and whichever part
of the Quran you recite, and
whatever deed you do, We are
witness to it when you are
engaged in it. Not the smallest
particle on the earth or in heaven
is hidden from your Lord; and
there is nothing smaller or bigger
but is recorded in a clear Book.62 Those who are close to God
shall certainly have no fear, nor
shall they grieve. 63 For those
who believe and are mindful of
God, 64 there is good news in this
157 Jonah 10:64
life and in the Hereafter: the
Word of God shall never change.
That is the supreme triumph.65 Do not let their words grieve
you. Surely, all might and glory
belongs to God alone; He is the
all-hearing, the all-knowing.66 Surely, all who are in the
heavens and on the earth belong
to Him. What do those follow,
who appeal to associates instead
of to God? They merely follow
conjecture and they are only
guessing. 67 It is He who has
made the night dark for you so
that you may rest in it, and the
day a source of light. Surely,
there are signs in this for a
people who listen.68 They say, ‘God has begotten
a son.’ Glory be to Him. He is the
Self-Sufficient One; everything
in the heavens and on the earth
belongs to Him. Do you have
any authority for this? Would
you ascribe to God something
which you do not know? 69 Say,
‘Those who invent falsehoods
about God shall not prosper.’70 Their portion is short-lived
enjoyment in this world; but to
Us they shall return. Then We
shall make them taste a severe
punishment, because of their
denial of truth.71 Tell them the story of Noah.
He said to his people, ‘My
people, if my presence among
you and my preaching to you of
God’s revelations offends you,
know that I put my trust in God,
so agree on your course of action,
along with your partner-gods,
and let no hesitation deflect you
from it, then put it into effect
against me, and give me no
respite. 72 If you turn away from
me, remember I demand no
recompense from you. Only God
will reward me and I have been
commanded to submit
completely to Him.’ 73 Then they
rejected him; then We delivered
him and those with him in the
Ark, and We made them
successors; while We drowned
the others who belied Our signs.
Observe then the fate of those
who had been forewarned.74 After him We sent other
messengers to their respective
peoples, and they brought them
10:65 Yunus 158
clear proofs. But they would not
believe in the truth, because they
had rejected it before. Thus We
seal up the hearts of the
transgressors.75 Then We sent forth Moses
and Aaron with Our signs to
Pharaoh and his nobles, but they
behaved arrogantly, for they were
wicked people. 76 When the truth
came to them from Us, they said,
‘This is plain sorcery.’ 77 Moses
replied, ‘Do you speak thus of
the truth after it has been brought
to you? Can this be sorcery?
Sorcerers never prosper.’ 78 They
said, ‘Have you come to turn us
away from what we found our
forefathers following, so that the
two of you might become
supreme in this land? We will
never believe in you.’79 Then Pharaoh said, ‘Bring
me every skilled magician!’80 When the magicians came,
Moses said to them, ‘Cast down
whatever you are going to cast
down.’ 81 And when they had
done so, Moses said, ‘What you
have wrought is mere sorcery.
Surely, God will bring it to
nothing. Truly, God does not
support the work of mischief-
makers; 82 God establishes the
truth by His words, however
much the sinners may dislike it.’83 But none save a few youths
declared their faith in Moses,
[while others held back] for fear
that Pharaoh and his nobles
would persecute them. Pharaoh
was high and mighty in the land.
And one who transgressed all
bounds. 84 Moses said, ‘O my
people; if you believe in God,
[and] if you have surrendered
yourselves to Him, then in Him
alone put your trust.’ 85 They
said, ‘In God we put our trust.
Our Lord, make us not a trial
[the subject of persecution] for
the oppressors. 86 And deliver us
by Your mercy from the people
who deny the truth.’87 We revealed [Our will] to
Moses and his brother, saying,
‘Set aside for your people some
houses in the city and turn them
into places of worship, and be
constant in prayer! And give [O
Moses] the good news to the
believers.’
159 Jonah 10:87
88 Moses prayed, ‘Our Lord,
You have bestowed upon
Pharaoh and his nobles pomp
and wealth in the present life,
whereby they lead people astray
from Your path. Our Lord,
destroy their riches and harden
their hearts, so that they shall not
believe until they are faced with
grievous punishment.’89 God said, ‘Your prayer is
granted, so continue, then, both
of you, steadfastly on the right
path, and do not follow the path
of those who have no knowledge.’90 So We brought the Children
of Israel across the sea. Pharaoh
and his troops pursued them
arrogantly and aggressively.
When he was about to drown,
[Pharaoh] exclaimed, ‘I believe
that there is no deity save Him in
whom the Children of Israel
believe, and I am of those who
surrender themselves to Him!’91 ‘Only now? When you had
always been a rebel, and a
wrongdoer. 92 So We shall save
your body this day, so that you
may serve as a sign for those
who come after you: for many
people are indeed heedless of
Our signs.’93 We settled the Children of
Israel in a blessed land, and We
provided them with good things.
And it was not until knowledge
[of God’s revelation] was granted
to them that they began to hold
divergent views. Your Lord will
judge between them on the Day
of Resurrection concerning that
in which they differed.94 If you are in any doubt
concerning what We have sent
down to you, then question those
who have read the Book before
you: the Truth has come to you
from your Lord, so do not be one
of the doubters—95do not be one
who rejects God’s signs, for then
you would become one of the
losers.96 Those against whom your
Lord’s word has been confirmed
will never believe; 97 not even if
every Sign were to come to
them—until they see the painful
punishment. 98 Why was there
no other people, save the people
of Jonah, who should have
believed so that their belief
10:88 Yunus 160
would have benefited them. Once
they believed, We lifted the
torment of shame from them
during their worldly life and let
them enjoy Our provision for a
while.99 Had your Lord pleased, all
the people on earth would have
believed in Him, without
exception. So will you compel
people to become believers?100 No soul can believe except by
the will of God. He will place
the filth [of doubt] upon those
who do not use their reason.101 Say, ‘Look at whatever
[exists] in heavens and on earth.’
But signs and warnings do not
benefit the unbelievers. 102 What
can they be waiting for but the
punishment that came to those
before them? Say, ‘So wait; I am
one of those waiting with you.’103 Then We shall save Our
messengers and those who
believe. Thus We have made it
incumbent upon Ourself to save
the believers.104 Say, ‘O people, if you are
in doubt concerning my religion,
then [know that] I do not worship
those whom you worship instead
of God, but rather I worship God
who will cause you to die, for I
am commanded to be one of the
believers.’ 105 And set your face
towards the [true] faith in all
uprightness, and do not be one
of those who ascribe partners to
God; 106 and do not invoke
besides God what can neither
help nor harm you. If you do,
you will be one of the
wrongdoers. 107 If God inflicts
harm on you, no one can remove
it but He, and if He intends good
for you, no one can withhold His
bounty; He grants His bounty to
any of His servants whom He
will. He is the Most Forgiving,
and the Most Merciful.108 Say, ‘Mankind, Truth has
come to you from your Lord!
Anyone who accepts guidance is
guided only for his own sake;
and he who goes astray does so
at his own peril. I am not
appointed as your keeper.’109 Follow what is revealed to
you, [O Prophet], and be steadfast
until God gives His judgement.
He is the Best of Judges.
161 Jonah 10:109
11 . H U D ( H U D )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
(162)
1 Alif Lam Ra
[This is] a Book, with verses
which are fundamental [in
nature], and then expounded in
detail by One who is all wise and
all aware. 2 [It teaches] that you
should worship none but God. I
am sent to you from Him to warn
you and to give you good tidings.3 Seek forgiveness from your
Lord; then turn towards Him [in
repentance]. He will make
generous provision for you for
an appointed term and will
bestow His grace on all who
merit it! But if you turn away,
then I fear for you the torment of
a dreadful Day: 4 to God you
shall all return; and He has power
over all things.5 See how they cover
themselves up to hide [their
thoughts] from Him. But when
they cover themselves up with
their garments, He knows what
they hide and what they reveal.
He knows their innermost
thoughts. 6 There is not a living
creature on the earth but it is for
God to provide its sustenance.
He knows its dwelling and its
[final] resting place. All this is
recorded in a clear book.7 Enthroned above the waters,
it was He who created the
heavens and the earth in six
Days [periods], in order to test
which of you is best in conduct.
If you say, ‘You will [all] be
raised up after death,’ those who
deny the truth will say, ‘This is
just sheer sorcery!’ 8 If We defer
their punishment till an appointed
time, they ask, ‘What is holding
it back?’ On the Day when it
overtakes them, there will be
nothing to avert it from them;
and what they used to mock at
shall encompass them.9 When We bestow upon man
a measure of Our grace and then
take it away from him, he yields
to despair and becomes
ungrateful. 10 And if, after
adversity, We let him taste good
fortune he says, ‘All my ills are
gone.’ He becomes exultant and
boastful. 11 Not so those who are
patient and do good deeds. They
shall have forgiveness and a great
reward.12 You may [feel the
inclination] to leave aside a part
of what is revealed to you and
you may be distressed because
they say, ‘Why has no treasure
been sent down to him, why has
no angel come with him?’ But
you are only to give warning.
God is the guardian of all things.13 If they say, ‘He has invented it
himself.’ Say, ‘If you are truthful,
produce ten invented chapters
like it, and call on whom you can
besides God, to help you.’ 14 But
if they do not respond to you,
then know that this [Quran] is
sent down with God’s knowledge
and that there is no deity but
Him. Will you then surrender
yourselves to Him?15 Those who desire the life of
this world and all its finery shall
be repaid in full in this life for
their deeds—nothing shall be
denied them. 16 These are the
people who, in the world to
come, shall have nothing but
Hellfire and all that they used to
do shall be in vain.17 Can they be compared to
those who possess a clear proof
from their Lord, followed up by
a witness from Him, preceded by
the Book of Moses, as a guide
and a mercy? These people
believe in it; whereas those
groups that deny its truth are
promised the Fire. Therefore,
have no doubt about it. It is the
truth from your Lord, but most
people do not believe it.18 Who does greater wrong
than the one who fabricates a lie
against God? Such people shall
be brought before their Lord,
and the witnesses will say, ‘These
are the ones who lied about their
Lord.’ Surely God’s rejection is
merited by such wrongdoers.19 Such as those who turn others
away from the path of God and
seek to make it appear crooked:
these are the ones who deny the
Hereafter. 20 They can never
163 Hud 11:20
frustrate God on earth, nor have
they any protectors besides God.
They will be subjected to double
punishment, for they could
neither hear nor see. 21 It is such
as these who have ruined their
souls, and that which they
fabricated shall fail them. 22 In
the Hereafter, it is they who shall
be the greatest losers.23 Those who have believed
and done good deeds and
humbled themselves before their
Lord are destined for Paradise,
and they will live in it forever.24 These two groups are like the
blind and the deaf as compared
with those who can see and hear.
Can the two be equal? Will you
not then understand?a
25 We sent Noah to his people.
He said, ‘I have come to you
with a clear warning: 26 worship
none but God. I fear lest
punishment befall you on a
woeful Day.’ 27 The leaders of
his people, who refused to
acknowledge the truth, said, ‘We
regard you only as a human
being like ourselves. We do not
see that anyone follows you but
the lowliest of us, those of
immature judgement. We see no
superior merit in you; in fact we
believe you are a liar.’28 He said, ‘O my people, tell
me: if I have clear evidence from
my Lord and He has favoured
me with grace from Himself,
which you have been unable to
recognize, can we force it on you
against your will? 29 O my
people, I do not ask you for any
money for this; my reward comes
only from God. I will not drive
away those who believe; they
shall surely meet their Lord. Yet
I see that you are a people who
act out of ignorance. 30 My
people, who would support me
against God if I were to drive
them off ? Will you not take
heed? 31 I do not say to you that
I possess God’s treasures, or that
11:21 Hud 164
a Faith, humility and righteous
deeds—all three are different aspects
of the same reality. Faith is the
conscious discovery of God and His
perfect attributes. Humility is the state
of the heart which necessarily develops
in man as a result of the discovery
of God.
I have knowledge of the unseen,
or that I am an angel. Nor do I
say concerning those upon
whom you look with contempt,
that God will not bestow any
good upon them—God knows
best what is in their hearts. If I
did, I would certainly be one of
the wrongdoers.’32 ‘Noah,’ they replied, ‘you
have argued with us, and argued
to excess. Now bring down upon
us what you threaten us with, if
you speak the truth!?’ 33 He said,
‘It is God who will bring it down
upon you, if He wishes, and you
will not be able to escape. 34 My
advice will not benefit you, no
matter how sincerely I want to
advise you, if God lets you go
astray. He is your Lord and you
will all return to Him.’35 If they say, ‘He has invented
it himself,’ say to them, ‘If I have
indeed invented this myself, then
may I be punished for my sin; I
am innocent of the crimes that
you commit.’36 God’s will was revealed to
Noah, ‘No more of your people
will believe in you than those
165 Hud 11:41
who already believe; do not
grieve, therefore, over what they
have been doing. 37 Build the
Ark under Our eyes and in
accordance with Our revelation.
Do not plead with Me concerning
the evil-doers. They shall
certainly be drowned.’ 38 So he
began to build the Ark, and
whenever leaders of his people
passed by, they scoffed at him.
He said, ‘If you are scoffing at
us, we shall scoff at you [and
your ignorance], just as you scoff
at us: 39 you will soon come to
know who will receive a
humiliating punishment, and find
unleashed against him an
everlasting punishment.’40 When Our command came,
and water gushed forth in
torrents, We said to Noah, ‘Take
into the Ark a pair from every
species, and your own family—
except those on whom the
sentence has already been passed,
and all the true believers.’ But
only a few believed along with
him. 41 Noah said, ‘Embark on
it. In the name of God, be its
sailing and its anchoring. Truly,
my Lord is forgiving and
merciful.’ 42 The Ark sailed along
with them through mountainous
waves. Noah called out to his
son who stood apart, ‘O my son!
Embark with us and do not be
among the deniers!’ 43 He replied,
‘I shall seek refuge on a
mountain, which will save me
from the water.’ Noah cried,
‘Today there is no refuge for
anyone from God’s command
except for those to whom He
shows mercy!’ Thereupon, a
wave swept in between them,
and Noah’s son was among those
who were drowned. 44 A voice
cried out, ‘Earth, swallow up
your waters. O sky, cease your
rain.’ The waters receded. The
command was fulfilled. The Ark
came to rest on Mount Judi. It
was said, ‘Away with the wrong-
doing people.’45 Noah called out to his Lord,
saying, ‘My Lord, my son was a
part of my family. Your promise
was surely true. You are the most
just of all judges.’ 46 God said,
‘Noah, he was not one of your
family. For, indeed, he was
unrighteous in his conduct. Do
not question Me about something
of which you have no knowledge;
I admonish you lest you become
like an ignorant man.’ 47 He said,
‘My Lord, I take refuge with You
from asking You something of
which I have no knowledge. If
You do not forgive me and show
me mercy, I shall be one of the
losers.’48 God said, ‘Noah, go ashore
in peace; Our blessings upon
you and upon the people who are
with you and upon some of the
descendants of those who are
with you. [As for the
unrighteous] We shall grant
provision for a time, then a
grievous punishment from Us
shall afflict them.’ 49 These are
tidings of the unseen that We
reveal to you, [O Prophet], which
you did not know before, nor did
your people, so be patient: the
future belongs to the God-
fearing.50 To ‘Ad We sent their brother
Hud. He said, ‘O my people,
worship God alone; you have no
god but Him. You do nothing but
11:42 Hud 166
fabricate lies. 51 I ask of younothing in return for this[Message]. My recompense iswith Him who has created me.Why do you not use your reason?52 My people, seek forgivenessof your Lord and turn to Him inrepentance. He will send fromthe sky abundant rain upon you;He will add strength to yourstrength. Do not turn away fromHim as evil-doers.’
53 They replied, ‘Hud, you havenot brought us any clear evidenceand we shall not forsake ourdeities merely at your behest,nor will we believe in you. 54 Wecan only say that some of ourgods have stricken you with evil.’He said, ‘I call God to witness,and you also bear witness, that Idisown those which youassociate [with God], 55 insteadof Him. So scheme against me,all of you together, and thengrant me no respite. 56 I have putmy trust in God, my Lord andyour Lord. For there is no livingcreature which He does not holdby its forelock. My Lord is on
the straight path.57 ‘If you turn away, I have
conveyed to you the message
with which I was sent. My Lord
will make another people your
successors and you cannot harm
Him in the least. For my Lord is
guardian over all things.’ 58 When
Our command came, We
delivered Hud and those who
believed with him by Our special
mercy. We saved them from a
severe punishment. 59 Such were
the ‘Ad who denied the signs of
their Lord and disobeyed His
messengers and followed the
bidding of every headstrong
enemy of truth. 60 They were
pursued by a curse in this world
as they will be on the Day of
Resurrection. Indeed, the ‘Ad
denied their Lord. So away with
the ‘Ad, the people of Hud!61 To the Thamud We sent their
brother Salih. He said, ‘My
people, worship God! You have
no god but Him. It was He who
brought you into being from the
earth and settled you upon it and
so ask His forgiveness. Turn to
Him in repentance. My Lord is
near and responsive.’ 62 They
said, ‘O Salih! We had great
167 Hud 11:62
hopes in you. Do you forbid us
to worship what our fathers
worshipped? We are in grave
doubt, amounting to suspicion,
concerning that to which you
call us.’ 63 He said, ‘O my people,
tell me: if I have clear evidence
from my Lord, and He has
granted His mercy, who then
will support me against God, if
I disobey Him? You would only
make my loss greater.64 My people! This she-camel
of God is a sign for you. So leave
her alone to graze on God’s
earth. And do her no harm, lest
you should be instantly afflicted
with a torment.’ 65 But they
hamstrung her. He [Salih] said,
‘Enjoy yourselves in your homes
for three more days. This warning
will not prove false.’ 66 Then
when Our command came by
Our grace, We saved Salih and
those who believed along with
him from the disgrace of that
day. Surely, your Lord is powerful
and mighty. 67 The wrongdoers
were overtaken by a dreadful
blast and they lay dead in their
homes, 68 as if they had never
dwelt there. The Thamud denied
their Lord; cursed are the tribe of
Thamud.69 Our messengers came to
Abraham with good news and
greeted him with, ‘Peace.’ He
too said, ‘Peace be on you,’ and
hastened to bring a roasted calf.70 But when he saw that they
made no move to eat, he found
this strange and became afraid
of them. They said, ‘Do not be
afraid, for we have been sent to
the people of Lot.’ 71 His wife,
who was standing nearby,
laughed when We gave her the
good news of Isaac, and after
Isaac, Jacob. 72 She said, ‘Alas!
Shall I bear a child in this old
age, while my husband here is
also old? This is indeed a strange
thing!’ 73 They said, ‘Are you
astonished at God’s command?
May the mercy of God and His
blessings be upon you, O people
of this house. Surely, He is
praiseworthy and glorious.’74 When the fear had left
Abraham, and the glad tidings
had been conveyed to him, he
began to plead with Us for Lot’s
11:63 Hud 168
people, 75 for Abraham was
forbearing, tender-hearted and
oft-returning to God. 76 We said,
‘Abraham, cease your pleading:
the command of your Lord has
gone forth. There shall fall upon
them a punishment which none
can avert!’77 When Our messengers came
to Lot, he was uneasy on this
account and felt powerless to
protect them. He said, ‘This is a
dreadful day.’ 78 His people, who
were used to committing foul
deeds, came running to him. He
said, ‘My people, here are my
daughters. They are purer for
you, [if you marry] so have some
fear of God and do not disgrace
me before my guests. Is there not
a single right-minded man among
you?’ 79 They replied, ‘You know
we have no need of your
daughters. You know very well
what we are seeking.’80 He said, ‘If only I had the
strength to stop you or could
take refuge in some powerful
support!’ 81 They said, ‘Lot, we
are your Lord’s messengers. By
no means shall they reach you!
So depart with your family while
it is yet night and let none of you
look back. But your wife will
suffer the fate that befalls the
others. Their appointed time is
the morning: is the morning not
near?’ 82 When Our command
came, We turned that town upside
down and We rained upon it
stones of clay, layer upon layer,83 marked for them by the decree
of your Lord. The punishment of
the unjust was not far off.84 To the people of Midian, We
sent their brother Shu‘ayb. He
said, ‘My people, worship God.
You have no deity other than
Him. Do not give short measure
and short weight. I see you are
prospering. I fear for you the
punishment of a fateful Day.85 O my people, [always] give
full measure and weight, in all
fairness and do not defraud
people by making short delivery,
and do not spread corruption in
the land. 86 What God leaves
with you is the best for you, if
you are believers. I have not
been appointed as your keeper.’87 They said, ‘Shu‘ayb, does
169 Hud 11:87
your prayer tell you that we
should abandon what our
forefathers worshipped and that
we should stop disposing of our
belongings as we please? You
are indeed the only wise and
rightly-guided man!’88 [Shu‘ayb] said, ‘O my
people! What do you think? If I
have clear evidence from my
Lord, and He has sustained me
with fair sustenance from
Himself [should I not guide
you?]. I have no desire to do, out
of opposition to you, what I am
asking you not to do. I only want
to reform you as far as I can. Nor
can I succeed without God’s
help. In Him I have put my trust
and to Him I turn. 89 O my people,
do not let your opposition to me
bring upon you a fate similar to
the peoples of Noah or Hud or
Salih; nor is it long since the
people of Lot were punished!90 Seek forgiveness of your Lord
and turn to Him in repentance.
For my Lord is indeed merciful
and loving.’91 They replied, ‘Shu‘ayb, we
do not understand much of what
you say. In fact, we see that you
are powerless among us.Were it
not for your clan, we would have
stoned you, for you are not strong
against us.’ 92 He said, ‘My
people, is my tribe mightier to
you than God? You put Him
behind you, turning your backs
on Him! Surely, my Lord
encompasses all that you do.93 My people, do what you will
and so shall I. You will certainly
come to know who will receive
a punishment to disgrace him,
and who is a liar. Wait on; I shall
wait on with you.’94 When Our command came,
We saved Shu‘ayb and those
who believed with him as a
mercy from Ourself, while the
blast overtook the wrongdoers,
so that they lay dead in their
homes, 95 as though they had
never dwelt therein. Oh, away
with the people of Midian, just
as happened with the Thamud!96 We sent forth Moses with
Our signs and with manifest
authority, 97 to Pharaoh and his
nobles. But they followed the
command of Pharaoh and the
11:88 Hud 170
command of Pharaoh was not
rightly directed. 98 He shall stand
at the head of his people on the
Day of Resurrection, and shall
lead them into the Fire. Evil is
the place to which they shall be
led. 99 A curse followed them in
this world, and shall follow them
on the Day of Resurrection. What
a foul gift to be given!100 We relate to you such
accounts of earlier towns: some
of them are still standing; while
others have ceased to exist;101 We did not wrong them; they
wronged themselves; the deities
they called on besides God
availed them nothing: when
God’s command came upon them,
they only added to their ruin.102 Such is the punishment of
your Lord when He seizes the
towns in the midst of their sins:
His punishing grip is terrible and
severe. 103 In that is a sign for
him who fears the punishment of
the Hereafter. That is a Day for
which mankind shall be gathered
together, a Day when all will be
present. 104 We will only
postpone it until a predetermined
time, 105 and when that Day
arrives, no soul shall speak but
by His leave. Among those some
shall be damned, and others shall
be blessed.106 The wretched ones will be
in the Fire sighing and groaning,107 remaining in it timelessly, for
ever, as long as the heavens and
earth endure, except as your Lord
wills. Your Lord carries out
whatever He wills. 108 Those who
are blessed shall abide in the
Garden; they will dwell therein
as long as the heavens and the
earth endure, except as your Lord
wills. Such bounty shall be
unending. 109 Have no doubt as
to what they worship. They
worship nothing but what their
fathers worshipped before
[them]. We shall certainly give
them their share in full, without
diminishing anything.110 We certainly gave the Book
to Moses, but differences arose
about it: had it not been that a
word had gone forth before from
your Lord, Judgement would
indeed have been passed on
them: yet they are in grave doubt
171 Hud 11:110
about it. 111 Your Lord will
reward each one of them in full
for their deeds. He is well-aware
of all their actions.112 Therefore stand firm [in
the straight path] as you are
commanded, along with those
who have turned to God with
you, and do not exceed the
bounds, for He sees everything
you do. 113 Do not incline toward
those who do wrong, lest the
Fire touch you. For [then] you
would have none to protect you
from God, and you will not be
helped. 114 Say your prayers
morning and evening, and during
parts of the night; surely good
makes amends for evil. This is a
reminder for people who pay
heed. 115 Be steadfast; for surely,
God does not let the wages of the
righteous be wasted.116 Why, then, were there not
among the generations before
you upright men who would
speak out against the [spread of]
corruption on earth—except for
the few whom We saved? But
the wrongdoers pursued their
worldly pleasures and thus
became guilty. 117 Your Lord
would never unjustly destroy
communities while their people
were trying to reform.118 If your Lord had wished,
He would have made mankind
into one community. As it is,
they will not cease to dispute,—119 and to this end He has created
them [all], except for those to
whom your Lord has shown
mercy. The word of your Lord
shall be fulfilled, ‘I will fill Hell
with jinn and men all together.’120 We have told you the stories
of the prophets to make your
heart firm and in these accounts
truth has come to you, with an
exhortation and a reminder for
the believers. 121 Say to those
who do not believe, ‘You do
things in your way and we are
doing things in our way, 122 and
wait, we too are waiting.’ 123 The
knowledge of the secret of the
heavens and the earth belongs to
God alone, and to Him shall all
affairs be referred. So worship
Him and put your trust in Him
alone. Your Lord is not unaware
of what you do.
11:111 Hud 172
1 2 . J O S E P H ( YUSUF )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Ra
These are verses from the clear
Book. 2 We have sent down the
Quran in Arabic, so that you may
understand. 3 We recount to you
the best of narratives in revealing
this Quran to you, even though
you were unaware of it before it
came.4 When Joseph told his father,
‘My father, I dreamt of eleven
stars, and the sun and moon: I
saw them prostrate themselves
before me,’ 5 he replied, ‘My
son, do not relate your dream to
your brothers, lest they plot evil
against you—Satan is the sworn
enemy of man. 6 You shall be
chosen by your Lord and He
will impart to you some
understanding of the inner
meaning of events. He will
bestow the full measure of His
blessings upon you and upon the
House of Jacob—even as He
formerly bestowed it in full
measure upon your forefathers,
Abraham and Isaac. Truly, your
Sustainer is all-knowing and wise!’7 Surely, in Joseph and his
brothers there are signs for the
inquirers. 8 They said [to each
other], ‘Surely Joseph and his
brother [Benjamin] are dearer to
our father than ourselves,
although we are a band. Truly,
our father is clearly mistaken.9 Therefore, let us put Joseph to
death or cast him away to some
[far-off] land, so that our father’s
attention should turn only to us,
and you can thereafter become a
righteous people.’ 10 One of them
said, ‘Do not kill Joseph, but if
you must do something, cast him
into the bottom of a well; some
of the travellers will pick him up.’11 They said to their father,
‘Why do you not trust us with
Joseph? We are indeed his well-
wishers. 12 Send him with us
tomorrow, so that he may play
and enjoy himself. We will look
(173)
after him.’ 13 [Jacob] said, ‘It
would indeed grieve me if you
took him away with you, and I
fear lest the wolf should devour
him while you are off your guard.’14 They said, ‘Surely, if the wolf
devoured him while we were a
strong party, we should indeed
be great losers.’15 And so, when they went
away with him, they decided to
cast him into the dark depths of
a well. Then We revealed to him
Our will, ‘You shall [one day]
tell them of this deed of theirs,
when they do not realize who
you are.’ 16 And at nightfall they
came to their father, weeping.17 They said, ‘Father, we went
off racing and left Joseph with
our belongings, and the wolf
devoured him. But you will not
believe us, even though we are
telling the truth.’ 18 And they
showed him their brother’s shirt,
stained with false blood. ‘No!’
he cried. ‘Your souls have tempted
you to do something evil! But it is
best to be patient: God alone
can help me bear the loss you
speak of.’
19 And there came a caravan of
travellers and they sent their
water-drawer to draw water from
the well. He let down his bucket
into the well and he exclaimed,
‘Oh, what a lucky find, here is a
boy!’ They hid him like a piece
of merchandise, but God knew
well what they did. 20 Later they
sold him for a paltry sum, a few
pieces of silver [dirhams]: So
little did they value him.21 The Egyptian who bought
him said to his wife, ‘Lodge him
honourably, he may prove of
benefit to us, or we may even
adopt him as our son.’ Thus We
established Joseph in the land,
so that We might teach him the
true meaning of events. God has
power over all things. However,
most people do not know this.22 And when he reached maturity,
We bestowed on him right
judgement and knowledge. Thus
We reward those who do good.23 However, the woman in
whose house he lived, wanted to
seduce him. One day she bolted
the doors and said, ‘Come!’ He
replied, ‘God forbid! Truly [your
12:13 Yusuf 174
husband] is my master and has
treated me honourably.
Wrongdoers certainly never
prosper.’ 24 She started towards
him, and he would have
succumbed to her, if he had not
seen a sign from his Lord—We
did this in order to keep evil and
indecency away from him, for he
was truly one of Our chosen
servants.25 They both ran to the door
and, in the struggle, she tore his
shirt at the back. They found her
husband at the door. She cried,
‘Shall not the man who wished
to violate your wife be thrown
into prison or sternly punished?’26 Joseph said, ‘It was she who
sought to seduce me.’ One of her
household testified, ‘If his shirt
is torn at the front then she is
speaking the truth, and he is
lying. 27 But if it is torn from
behind then she is lying, and he
speaks the truth.’ 28 So when he
saw his shirt torn from behind
[her husband] said, ‘This is the
guile of you women. Your guile
is great indeed. 29 Joseph,
overlook this: but you [wife],
ask forgiveness for your sin, for
you have done wrong.’30 Women in the town began
to gossip, ‘The nobleman’s wife
is trying to seduce her slave!
Love for him consumes her heart!
Indeed! We see her in manifest
error.’ 31 When she heard of their
intrigues, she sent for them and
prepared a party for them. She
gave a knife to each of them [to
cut fruits, etc.] and then asked
Joseph to appear before them.
When the women saw him, they
were greatly amazed [at his
beauty], and they cut their hands,
exclaiming, ‘God preserve us!
This is no human being but a
noble angel!’ 32 She said, ‘This
is he about whom you have been
blaming me! And, indeed, I did
try to make him yield to me, but
he was unyielding. Now,
however, if he does not do as I
bid him, he shall certainly be put
in prison and be humiliated.’33 Joseph said, ‘O my Lord! I
would prefer prison to what these
women are inviting me to do.
And if You do not avert their
guile from me, I may yield to
175 Joseph 12:33
them and so become one of the
ignorant.’ 34 So his Lord
answered him and warded off
their guile. He is All Hearing and
All Knowing.35 Yet, even after all the
evidence they had seen, they
thought it right to jail him for a
time. 36 Two young men entered
the prison along with him. One
of them said, ‘I saw myself [in a
dream] I was pressing wine.’
The other said, ‘I dreamed I was
carrying bread on my head from
which the birds were eating. Tell
us their meaning; for we see that
you are one who does good
[to all].’37 Joseph said to them, ‘I shall
inform you of the interpretation
of your dreams before your meal
is brought to you. This is a part
of the knowledge that my Lord
has taught me. I have renounced
the religion of the people who do
not believe in God and who deny
the Hereafter. 38 I follow the
religion of my fathers, Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob; and it is not for
us to associate anyone with God
as a partner. This is of God’s
grace upon us and upon mankind;
even though most men are not
grateful. 39 O my two fellow-
prisoners! Are many diverse lords
better, or God, the One, the
Almighty? 40 All those you
worship instead of Him are mere
names you and your forefathers
have invented, names for which
God has sent down no authority:
all power belongs to God alone,
and He orders you to worship
none but Him: this is the true
faith, though most people do not
realize it.41 O my two fellow-prisoners,
one of you will serve wine to his
lord, the other of you will be
crucified and birds will feed off
his head. The matter about which
you have been seeking my
opinion has been so decreed.’42 He said to the one he thought
would be saved, ‘Mention me to
your master.’ However Satan
made him forget to mention him
to his master, and so Joseph
remained in prison for a number
of years.43 The king said, ‘I saw [in a
dream] seven fat cows which
12:34 Yusuf 176
seven lean ones were eating,
also seven green ears of corn and
seven others which were dry.
Tell me the meaning of this
vision, my nobles, if you can
interpret visions.’ 44 They said,
‘These are confusing dreams and
we do not know the interpretation
of such dreams.’ 45 Then one of
the two men who had been
released and who, after a long
time, remembered, said, ‘I shall
tell you its interpretation;
therefore, give me leave to go [to
Joseph in prison].’46 ‘O truthful Joseph!’ he said,
‘Tell us the meaning of a dream
in which seven fat cows are
being eaten by seven lean ones,
and there are seven green ears of
corn and seven others which are
dry, so that I may return to my
people and inform them.’47 Joseph said, ‘You shall sow
for seven consecutive years as
usual, but leave in the ear the
harvest that you reap, except for
a little which you may eat. 48 Then
there will follow seven years of
great hardship which will
consume all but a little of what
you stored. 49 Then a year will
come after that when people will
have abundant rain and when
once more they will press [wine
and oil].’50 The king said, ‘Bring him to
me.’ When the king’s messenger
came to Joseph, he said, ‘Go
back to your master and ask him
about the women who cut their
hands: my Lord knows well their
guile.’ 51 The king asked the
women, ‘What was the truth of
the affair in which you tried to
seduce Joseph?’ The women said,
‘God forbid! We know no evil of
him.’ The wife of the nobleman
said, ‘The truth has now come to
light. It was I who tried to seduce
him; he is surely an honest man.’52 ‘From this,’ said Joseph,
‘[The nobleman] should know
that I did not betray him in his
absence, and that God does not
guide the plotting of the
treacherous. 53 I am not trying to
absolve myself: for man’s very
soul incites him to evil unless
my Lord bestows His mercy.
Indeed, my Lord is forgiving and
merciful.’
177 Joseph 12:53
54 The king said, ‘Bring him to
me. I will take him for my special
service.’ And when he had
spoken to him, he said, ‘From
now on you will dwell with us,
honoured and trusted.’ 55 Joseph
said, ‘Place in my charge the
storehouses of the land; for I am
a good and knowledgeable
custodian.’ 56 Thus We caused
Joseph to be established in a
position of authority in the land.
He could dwell therein wherever
he pleased. We bestow Our mercy
on whomever We please, and We
do not allow the reward of the
righteous to go to waste. 57 Yet
the reward of the hereafter is
best for those who believe and
are mindful of God.58 Joseph’s brothers arrived
and presented themselves before
him. He recognized them, but
they did not know him. 59 When
he had made provision for them,
he told them, ‘Bring me your
brother on your father’s side. Do
you not see that I give you full
measure and that I am the best of
hosts? 60 But if you do not bring
him to me, you shall have no
grain from me, nor shall you
ever approach me again.’ 61 They
replied, ‘We shall try to persuade
his father to send him with us.
We shall do [our utmost]!’62 Joseph said to his servants,
‘Put their money back into their
saddlebags, so that they will
recognize it when they return
home to their family; thus they
may come back.’ 63 When they
returned to their father, they said,
‘Our father, any [further]
measure of grain has been denied
us, so send our brother
[Benjamin] along with us, so
that we may obtain our measure
[of grain]; and, we shall guard
him well.’ 64 He replied, ‘Am I to
trust you with him as I once
trusted you with his brother? But
God is the best of guardians, the
Most Merciful of all.’65 When they opened their
packs, they discovered that their
money had been returned to them.
They said, ‘Our father, what more
do we desire than this? This
money of ours has been returned
to us, so we shall [again] buy
food for our family and we shall
12:54 Yusuf 178
guard our brother, and we shall
obtain an additional camel-load
of grain. This [that we bring
now] is a small quantity.’ 66 He
[Jacob] said, ‘I will never send
him with you until you give me
a solemn pledge, before God,
that you will indeed bring him
back to me, unless you yourselves
are trapped [in a compulsive
situation].’ And when they had
given him their solemn pledge,
[Jacob] said, ‘God shall be
witness to all that we say.’67 ‘O my sons! Do not all of
you enter [the city] by one gate;
enter by separate gates. I cannot
help you in any way against
God; judgement is His alone. In
Him I have put my trust. In Him
let the faithful put their trust.’68 They entered [safely] as their
father had told them. However,
he had no power to guard them
against God’s decree. It was only
a wish in Jacob’s soul which he
had thus fulfilled. He was
possessed of knowledge which
We had given him. But most
people have no knowledge.69 When they presented
themselves before Joseph, he took
his brother [Benjamin] aside. He
said, ‘I am your brother, so do not
feel distressed about whatever they
have been doing.’ 70 And when he
had given them their provisions,
he placed a drinking-cup in his
brother’s pack. Then a crier called
out after them, ‘Men of the
caravan! You have committed
theft!’ 71 They said, turning towards
him, ‘What is it that you have
lost?’ 72 ‘We miss the royal
measuring bowl,’ he replied. ‘He
who brings it shall have a camel-
load of corn. I pledge my word for
it.’ 73 They said, ‘By God, you
[ought to] know we have not
come here to cause any trouble in
the land. We are not thieves!’74 The Egyptians asked them, ‘And
if we find that you are lying, what
penalty shall we mete out to you?’75 They replied, ‘The penalty
should be that he in whose
saddlebag it is found, should be
held [as bondman] to atone for the
crime. That is how we punish the
wrongdoers.’ 76 He [the herald]
searched their bags before his
brother’s and then took out the
179 Joseph 12:76
cup from his brother’s bag. In
this way, We devised a plan on
behalf of Joseph. He could not
have detained his brother under
the King’s law, unless God so
willed. We exalt whoever We
please: but above those who have
knowledge there is One all
knowing.77 They said, ‘If he is a thief, a
brother of his had [also]
committed theft before him.’ But
Joseph kept his secret and
revealed nothing to them. He
said [to himself], ‘Your deed
was worse. God best knows the
things you speak of.’ 78 They
said, ‘O exalted one, he has a
very aged father, take one of us
in his place. We can see that you
are a very good man.’ 79 He
replied, ‘God forbid that we
should take anyone other than
the person on whom we found
our property. In that case, we
would clearly be wrongdoers.’80 When they had lost all hope
of [persuading] him, they
withdrew, conferring among
themselves. The eldest said, ‘Do
you not know that your father
took from you a pledge in God’s
name. You have already failed
with regard to Joseph, so I shall
never leave the land until my
father permits me to, or God
decides [things] for me. He is
the best judge! 81 Return to your
father and say, “Father, your son
has committed a theft. We testify
only to what we know. How
could we guard against the
unforeseen? 82 Inquire of [the
people of] the city where we
lodged, and of the caravan with
which we travelled. We are telling
you the truth.”’83 Jacob said, ‘No, but you
have yourselves contrived a story.
But it is best to be patient. God
may well bring them all back to
me [in the end]. For He is indeed
full of knowledge and wisdom.’84 And he turned away from
them, crying, ‘Alas for Joseph!’
His eyes went white with grief,
and he was filled with sorrow.85 They said, ‘By God, will you
keep on remembering Joseph
until your health is ruined, and
you die?’ 86 He said ‘I only
complain of my anguish and my
12:77 Yusuf 180
sorrow to God. God has made
known to me things that you do
not know. 87 Go, my sons, and
seek news of Joseph and his
brother. Do not despair of God’s
mercy; none but those who deny
the truth despair of God’s mercy.’88 When his brothers presented
themselves before Joseph, they
pleaded, ‘Exalted one, distress
has afflicted us and our family
and we have brought only a
paltry sum; but give us full
measure. Be charitable to us.
Truly, God rewards the
charitable.’ 89 He said, ‘Are you
aware of what you did to Joseph
and his brother in ignorance?’90 They exclaimed, ‘Are you
indeed Joseph?’ He replied, ‘I
am Joseph and this is my brother.
God has indeed been gracious to
us. The truth is that God does not
waste the reward of those who
do good, who are righteous and
steadfast.’91 [The brothers] said, ‘By
God! Most certainly God has
raised you high above us, and we
have indeed been guilty!’ 92 He
said, ‘No blame [shall fall] on
you this day; may God forgive
you! And He is the Most Merciful
of those who show mercy. 93 Go
with this shirt of mine and cast it
upon my father’s face. He will
recover his sight; thereupon come
[back] to me with all your family.’94 When the caravan set out
from Egypt, their father [in
Canaan] said, ‘You may think I
am senile, but I certainly perceive
the breath of Joseph.’ 95 They
said, ‘By God, you still persist in
your illusions!’ 96 But when the
bearer of the good news arrived
and cast the shirt on Jacob’s
face, his eyesight returned and
he said, ‘Did I not tell you that I
know from God what you do not
know?’ 97 They said, ‘O our
father! Ask forgiveness for our
sins—we were truly in the
wrong.’ 98 He said, ‘I shall
certainly ask my Lord to forgive
you. Surely, He is the Most
Forgiving and Merciful.’99 Then, when they presented
themselves before Joseph, he
drew his parents to him and said,
‘Welcome to Egypt, in safety, if
God wills!’ 100 He helped his
181 Joseph 12:100
parents to a couch and they all
fell down on their knees before
him. He said, ‘My father, this is
the interpretation of my dream.
My Lord has made it come true!
He was kind to me when He let
me out of prison and brought
you from the desert after Satan
had brought about discord
between me and my brethren.
My Lord is the best planner in
achieving what He will; He is
All Knowing, and Truly Wise.’101 Then Joseph prayed, ‘My
Lord, You have given me power
and taught me the interpretation
of dreams. Creator of the heavens
and the earth, You are my patron
in this world and the Hereafter!
Make me die in submission to
You and admit me among the
righteous.’102 These are tidings of the
unseen that We reveal to you, [O
Prophet], though you were not
present with them when they
plotted and agreed upon a plan.103 Yet most men will not become
believers, no matter how eager
you may be. 104 You shall not
ask them for any reward for
this. It is but a reminder for all
mankind.105 And there are many signs
in the heavens and the earth that
they pass by and give no heed
to—106 and most of them, even
when they profess belief in God,
attribute partners to Him. 107 Do
they feel secure that the all-
encompassing punishment of
God will not come upon them, or
that the Last Hour will not come
upon them suddenly when they
least expect it? 108 Say, ‘This is
my way; on the basis of sure
knowledge, I call on you to have
faith in God, I and those who
follow me. God is Holy; I am not
one of those who associate
partners with God.’109 All the messengers We sent
before you [Muhammad] were
human beings to whom We made
revelations; they were men
chosen from the people of their
towns. Did they not travel across
the earth and see the end of those
before them? Those who are
mindful of God prefer the life to
come. Will you not then
understand? 110 When the
12:101 Yusuf 182
messengers lost all hopes and
thought that they had been told
lies, Our help came to them: We
saved whoever We pleased, but
Our punishment will not be
averted from the guilty.111 In their stories there is a
lesson for men of understanding.
This [Quran] is no invented tale,
but a confirmation of the
previous [scripture] and a
detailed explanation of all things
as well as guidance and mercy to
true believers.
13 . T H U N D E R (A L - R A ‘ D )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Mim Ra
These are the verses of the Book.
What is sent down to you from
your Lord is the truth, yet most
men do not believe in it. 2 It was
God who raised the heavens
with no visible supports, and
then established Himself on the
throne; He has regulated the sun
and the moon, so that each will
pursue its course for an appointed
time; He ordains all things and
makes plain His revelations, so
that you may be certain of
meeting your Lord; 3 it was He
who spread out the earth and
placed upon it mountains and
rivers, and fruits of every kind in
male and female pairs. He drew
the veil of night over the day. In
all this, truly, there are signs for
people who reflect.4 On the earth are diverse
tracts, adjoining one another:
vineyards and cornfields and
groves of palm, the single and
the clustered. Their fruits are
nourished by the same water; yet
We make the taste of some excel
that of others. In this also are
signs for people who understand.5 If anything can astonish you,
you should surely be astonished
at their asking, ‘What? When we
become dust, shall we be created
183 Thunder 13:5
anew?’ These are the ones who
deny their Lord: around their
necks there shall be fetters. They
are the inheritors of the Fire, and
shall abide therein forever.6 They demand that you hasten
on the evil rather than the good,
although there have been many
examples of punishment before
them—your Lord is full of
forgiveness for mankind, despite
their wrongdoings, but He is
truly severe in punishment.7 Those who deny the truth
ask, ‘Why has no sign been sent
down to him by His Lord?’ But
you are only a warner; every
people has its guide.8 God knows what every
female bears. He knows of every
change within the womb. For
everything He has a proper
measure; 9 He is the knower of
the unseen and the visible, the
Great, the Most-Exalted. 10 It
makes no difference whether you
converse in secret or aloud,
whether you hide under the cloak
of night or walk about freely in
the light of day.11 Each has guardian angels
before him and behind him, who
watch him at God’s command.
God does not change the
condition of a people’s lot, unless
they change what is in their
hearts. But when God decrees
punishment for a people, none
can ward it off. Besides Him,
they have no protector.12 It is He who shows you the
lightning, inspiring fear and
hope, and gathers up the heavy
clouds; 13 and the thunder
glorifies Him with His praise
and the angels do so too in awe
of Him, and He sends His
thunderbolts to strike anyone He
pleases, yet they dispute about
God, who is inexorable in His
power.14 The only true appeal is to
God alone; those they appeal to
instead of Him will never respond
to them in any way. They are like
a man who stretches forth his
hands toward the water, so that it
may reach his mouth, but it
never does. The calls of those
who deny the truth are all in
vain.15 All who dwell in heavens
13:6 Al-Ra‘d 184
and on the earth submit to God
alone, willingly or unwillingly,
as do their shadows in the
mornings and in the evenings.16 Say, ‘Who is Lord of the
heavens and the earth?’ Say,
‘God.’ Say, ‘Why do you take
protectors other than Him, who
can neither benefit nor harm
even themselves?’ Say, ‘Are the
blind and the seeing equal? Is
darkness equal to the light? Or
have they assigned partners to
God who create as He creates, so
that both creations appear to
them alike?’ Say, ‘God is the
Creator of all things. He is the
One, the Almighty.’17 He sends down water from
the sky that fills riverbeds to
overflowing, each according to
its measure. The torrent carries
along swelling foam, akin to
what rises from smelted ore from
which man makes ornaments and
tools. God thus depicts truth and
falsehood. The scum is cast away,
but whatever is of use to man
remains behind. God thus speaks
in parables.18 There will be the best of
rewards for those who respond
to their Lord: while those who
do not respond to Him—if they
possessed all that is on earth and
twice as much, they would surely
offer it as ransom [on the Day of
Judgement];—will have the
worst reckoning and their goal is
Hell: and how evil a resting-
place!19 Can one who knows that
whatever has been sent down to
you from your Lord is the Truth,
be equal to one who is blind? It
is only those who are endowed
with insight who pay heed; 20 they
who are true to their bond with
God and never break their
covenant; 21 and those who join
together what God has
commanded to be joined, and
fear their Lord and dread the
harshness of the reckoning;22 those who are steadfast in
seeking the favour of their Lord,
and pray regularly and spend
secretly and openly out of what
We have provided them with,
and ward off evil with good.
Theirs shall be the final abode.23 They shall enter the eternal
185 Thunder 13:23
Gardens of Eden, along with the
righteous from among their
fathers, wives and descendants.
From every gate the angels will
come to them, saying, 24 ‘Peace
be upon you for all that you have
steadfastly endured. How
excellent is the final abode!’25 As for those who break the
covenant of God, after having
confirmed it, who cut asunder
what God has commanded to be
joined and spread corruption in
the land, a curse shall be laid on
them; they shall have an evil
abode. 26 God gives abundantly
to whom He will and sparingly
to whom He pleases—[those who
deny the truth] rejoice in the life
of this world; yet the life of this
world is but a fleeting pleasure
compared with the life to come.27 Those who deny the truth
ask, ‘Why has no Sign been sent
down to him by his Lord?’ Say,
‘God lets go astray those whom
He wills and guides to Himself
those who turn to Him, 28 those
who believe and whose hearts
find comfort in the remembrance
of God—surely in the
remembrance of God hearts can
find comfort. 29 ‘As for those
who believe and do righteous
deeds—blissful is their end.’30 Thus We have sent you to a
people, before whom other
peoples have passed away, so
that you may recite to them what
We have revealed to you. Yet
they deny the Gracious God.
Say, ‘He is my Lord; there is no
god but He. In Him I put my trust
and to Him I shall return.’31 Even if there were a Quran
by which mountains could be set
in motion, by which the earth
could be rent asunder, or by
which the dead could be made to
speak [they would not believe in
it]. Surely all things are subject
to God’s will. Are the faithful
unaware that, had He pleased,
God could have guided all
mankind? Calamity shall not
cease to strike those who deny
the truth because of their
misdeeds or to strike near their
homes, until God’s promise be
fulfilled. God will not fail to
keep His promise. 32 Other
messengers were also mocked
13:24 Al-Ra‘d 186
before you; but though I granted
respite to those who denied the
truth, at last I seized them, and
how awful was My punishment.33 Is then He who watches
over every soul and its actions
[like any other]? Yet they ascribe
partners to God. Say, ‘Name
them! Or do you presume to
inform Him of something on the
earth of which He does not
know? Or, is all this only your
verbal assertion?’ Indeed, their
devices seem fair to those who
deny the truth, and they are kept
back from the right path. There
can be no guide for those whom
God lets go astray. 34 Punishment
awaits them in the present life:
but harsher is the punishment of
the Hereafter—no one will
defend them against God.35 Such is the Paradise which
the righteous have been
promised: it is watered by
running streams: eternal is its
fruit, and eternal is its shade.
That is the recompense of those
who are righteous, but the
recompense of those who deny
the truth is the Fire.
36 Those to whom We sent the
Scriptures rejoice in what has
been revealed to you, while some
factions deny parts of it. Say to
them, ‘I have been commanded
only to worship God and not to
associate partners with Him: to
Him I pray and to Him I shall
return.’ 37 Thus We have revealed
it as a [clear] commandment in
Arabic. If you followed their
desires after all the knowledge
which has come to you, you
would have no protector or shield
against God. 38 We sent down
messengers before you and gave
them wives and children. Yet it
was not possible for a messenger
to bring a sign, save by the
command of God. Every age has
had its revelation. 39 God
abrogates or confirms what He
pleases; with Him is the source
of all commandments.40 Whether We show you part
of what We have promised them
or cause you to pass away [before
that], your mission is only to
give warning; it is for Us to do
the reckoning. 41 Do they not see
how We come to [their] land and
187 Thunder 13:41
shrink its borders? God
decides—no one can reverse His
decision—and He is swift in
reckoning. 42 Those before them
did also devise plots; but in all
things the master planning is
God’s. He knows what each soul
does. Those who deny the truth
13:42 Al-Ra‘d 188
shall soon know for whom is the
final abode.43 Those who deny the truth
say, ‘You are not God’s
messenger.’ Say, ‘Sufficient is
God as my witness between me
and you, and those who have
knowledge of the Book.’
1 4 . A B R A H A M ( I B R A H I M )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Ra
We have revealed to you this
Book so that, by their Lord’s
command, you may lead men
from darkness to the light: to the
path of the Mighty, the
Praiseworthy One, 2 to God, who
possesses whatever is in the
heavens and whatever is on earth.
Woe to those who deny the truth,
for they shall be sternly punished!3 Woe to those who love this life
more than the Hereafter; who
turn others away from the path
of God and seek to make it
crooked. They have gone far astray.
4 Each messenger We have sent
has spoken in the language of his
own people, so that he might
make the message clear to them.
But God lets go astray whom He
will and guides whom He
pleases. He is the Almighty, the
All Wise.5 We sent Moses with Our
signs, saying, ‘Lead your people
out of the darkness into the light,
and remind them of God’s Days.
In that there are signs for every
patient, grateful person.’6 Moses said to his people,
‘Remember God’s goodness to
you when He delivered you from
Pharaoh’s people who were
treating you cruelly, putting your
sons to death and sparing only
your daughters. Surely that was
a great trial from your Lord.7 Remember also the time when
your Lord declared, “If you are
grateful, I will surely bestow
more favours on you; but if you
are ungrateful, then know that
My punishment is severe
indeed.”’ 8 Moses said, ‘Even if
you should deny the truth,
and all who dwell on earth
together, God is self-sufficient,
praiseworthy.’9 Has not news come to you
concerning those who preceded
you, such as Noah’s people, and
the ‘Ad and Thamud, as well as
those who came after them? Only
God knows who they were. The
messengers came to them with
clear signs, but they put their
hands to their mouths saying,
‘We deny the message you have
been sent with. We have grave
doubts about what you are
inviting us to do.’10 Their messengers said, ‘Is
there any doubt about God, the
Originator of the heavens and
earth? He calls you to Him in
order to forgive you some of
your offences and to reprieve
you for a specific period.’ They
said, ‘You are only human beings
like ourselves! You want to divert
us from what our forefathers
have been worshipping, so bring
us some clear authority.’11 Their messengers replied,
‘We are indeed mortals like
yourselves. But God bestows His
grace on such of His servants as
He chooses. We cannot give you
miracles, except by God’s leave.
In God let true believers put
their trust—12 and why should
we not put our trust in God when
He has already guided us to our
paths? We will, surely, bear with
patience all the harm you do us.
So in God let those who trust put
their trust.’13 Those who deny the truth
said to their messengers, ‘We
shall banish you from our land
unless you return to our ways.’
But their Lord inspired the
messengers, saying, ‘We shall
destroy the evil-doers, 14 and
189 Abraham 14:14
settle you on the land to succeed
them. That is [in store] for anyone
who is in awe of meeting Me,
and who heeds My warnings.’15 When they sought Our
Judgement, every stubborn
oppressor was frustrated.16 Beyond him is Hell, and he
shall drink putrid water; 17 he
will sip and will not find it easy
to swallow it. Death will
approach him from every quarter,
yet he will not die. More intense
suffering will lie ahead of him.18 The works of those who
deny their Lord are like ashes
which the wind scatters on a
stormy day: they shall gain
nothing from what they do. To
act thus is to stray far into error.19 Do you not see that God has
created the heavens and the earth
for a purpose? He can eliminate
you if He wills and bring into
being a new creation: 20 that is
no difficult thing for God.21 They shall all appear before
God and the weak will say to
those who behaved proudly, ‘We
were your followers. Can you
protect us from God’s
punishment?’ They will reply,
‘Had God given us guidance, we
would have guided you. It is all
the same whether we are patient
or impatient; there is no escape
for us.’22 When the Judgement has
been passed, Satan will say to
them, ‘God made you a true
promise; I too made you
promises, but I failed you. I had
no authority over you, except
that I called you and you
responded to me. Do not now
blame me, but blame yourselves!
I cannot help you, nor can you
help me. I reject your former act
in associating me with God.’
The wrongdoers will have a
painful punishment.23 But those who believed and
did good deeds will be brought
into Gardens with rivers flowing
through them. They shall abide
there forever by their Lord’s
permission, and will be welcomed
with the greeting, ‘Peace’!24 Do you not see how God
compares a good word to a good
tree? Its root is firm and its
branches are in the sky, 25 it
14:15 Ibrahim 190
yields its fruit each season with
its Lord’s permission—God
makes such comparisons for
people, in order that they may
take heed—26 but an evil word is
like an evil tree torn out of the
earth; it has no foothold.27 God will strengthen the
believers with His steadfast
word, both in the present life and
in the Hereafter. God lets the
wrongdoers go astray. He does
what He wills.28 Do you not see those who,
in exchange for God’s favour,
offer only ingratitude and cause
their people to descend into the
Abode of Ruin? 29 In Hell shall
they burn; an evil place to stay.30 They have set up rivals to God
to lead people away from His
path. Say, ‘Enjoy yourselves
awhile: you will then proceed to
the Fire.’31 Tell My servants, those who
are true believers, to keep up
prayer and to give alms secretly
and openly out of what We have
given them, before the Day
comes when there will be neither
trading nor befriending.
32 It was God who created the
heavens and the earth. He sends
down water from the sky with
which He brings forth fruits for
your sustenance; He has made
ships subservient to you, so that
they may sail across the sea by
His command; and has subjected
the rivers to you. 33 He has also
subjected to you the sun and the
moon, both steadfastly pursuing
their courses. He has subjected
to you the night as well as the
day; 34 He has given you all that
you asked of Him; and if you try
to reckon up God’s favours, you
will not be able to count them.
Truly man is very unjust, very
ungrateful.35 [Remember] when Abraham
said, ‘My Lord, make this a city
of peace and help me and my
children to keep away from
worshipping idols. 36 My Lord,
they have led so many men
astray! Anyone who follows me
is with me, but if anyone turns
against me, You are surely
forgiving and merciful.37 O Lord! I have settled
some of my offspring in an
191 Abraham 14:37
uncultivable valley near Your
Sacred House, Lord, so that they
might establish their prayers. So,
make people’s hearts incline
towards them and provide them
with fruits so that they may be
grateful.38 Lord, You have knowledge
of all that we hide and all that we
reveal: nothing in heaven or on
earth is hidden from God.39 Praise be to God who has
bestowed upon me, despite my
old age, Ishmael and Isaac. Surely
my Lord is the hearer of prayer.40 Lord, grant that I may keep up
the prayer, and so may my
offspring. My Lord, accept my
prayer. 41 Forgive me, Lord, and
forgive my parents and all the
believers on the Day of
Reckoning.’42 Do not think God is unaware
of the wrongdoers’ actions. He
only gives them respite till the
Day on which all eyes will stare
fixedly in horror. 43 They will
hurry on in fright, their heads
lifted up, their gaze directed
forward, their minds utterly void.44 Warn men of the Day when
14:38 Ibrahim 192
the punishment will come upon
them, and when the wrongdoers
will say, ‘Our Lord, grant us
respite for a short while. We
will respond to Your call and
will follow the messengers.’
[But God will answer], are you
not those who swore that you
would never suffer any decline?45 You lived in the dwellings of
those who wronged themselves,
and it was made clear to you
how We had dealt with them
and We gave you many
examples. 46 They hatched their
plots; but these plots were all
within God’s knowledge.
Though their plots were such as
to shake the mountains, [God
will bring their plots to nothing.]47 Never think that God will
fail in His promise to His
messengers. God is mighty and
capable of retribution. 48 On the
Day when the earth shall be
changed into another earth, as
shall be the heavens, they will all
appear before God, the One, the
Most Supreme. 49 On that Day
you shall see the guilty bound in
chains, 50 their garments shall be
of pitch and the fire shall envelop
their faces. 51 God will requite
each soul according to its deeds.
Swift is God’s reckoning.52 This is a message for mankind.
193 The Rocky Tract 15:15
Let them take warning
from it and know that He
is but one God. Let those
possessed of understanding may
take heed.
1 5 . T H E R O C K Y TRACT ( A L - H I J R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Ra
These are the verses of a clear
Book, the Quran. 2 A time will
surely come when those who are
bent on denying the truth will
wish that they had surrendered
themselves to God, 3 so leave
them to eat and enjoy themselves
and let them be beguiled by vain
hopes; for soon they will realise
[the truth]. 4 We have never
destroyed a township without a
definite decree having been
issued; 5 no people can forestall
their doom, nor can they delay it.6 They say, ‘You to whom the
Reminder [the Quran] has been
sent down, you are surely
possessed. 7 Why do you not
bring down the angels upon us,
if you are truthful?’ 8 But We
send down the angels only to
bring justice and then they will
not be reprieved.9 It is We who have sent down
the Reminder and We will, most
surely, safeguard it.10 We sent messengers before
you to the previous peoples, 11 but
there was never a messenger
who came to them but they
mocked him: 12 thus We cause
this [habit of mocking] to enter
into the hearts of the sinful.13 They will not believe in it,
though they have before them
the example of former peoples,14 and even if We opened to them
a door from heaven, and they
began ascending through it,15 they would still say, ‘Our eyes
have been dazzled. We are
bewitched.’16 We have placed
constellations in heaven and have
beautified it for beholders, 17 and
We have guarded it from every
accursed devil: 18 but if anyone
eavesdrops, he is pursued by a
bright flaming fire.19 We have spread out the earth,
and set upon it firm mountains
and caused everything to grow
in due proportion. 20 We have
provided therein a means of
livelihood for you and for all
those creatures for whom you do
not provide.21 There is not a thing but its
storehouses are with Us. But We
only send down each thing in an
appropriate measure: 22 We let
loose fertilizing winds, and bring
water from the sky for you to
drink; and you could not have
stored it up for yourselves.23 Truly, it is We who bring to
life and We who cause death and
We are the inheritor of all things.24 We know those who lived
before you and those who will
come after you. 25 It is your Lord
who will gather them. He is all
wise and all knowing.26 We created man out of dry
clay, from moulded mud, 27 and
the jinn We had created before
from flaming fire.28 Your Lord said to the angels,
‘I am about to bring into being a
man wrought from mud. 29 When
I have formed him and breathed
My spirit into him, fall down in
prostration before him,’ 30 then
the angels all prostrated
themselves together. 31 But Satan
did not; he refused to join those
who prostrated themselves.32 God asked him, ‘What is the
matter with you, that you are not
among those who have prostrated
themselves?’ 33 He replied, ‘I am
not one to prostrate myself to a
man whom You have created out
of a clay of moulded mud.’34 God said, ‘Then get out of
here; for you are accursed, 35 and
the curse shall be on you till the
Day of Judgement!’ 36 Satan said,
‘O my Lord! Grant me respite till
the Day of Resurrection.’ 37 He
said, ‘You are granted respite38 till that Appointed Day.’
15:16 Al-Hijr 194
39 He said, ‘My Lord, since
You have let me go astray. I shall
make the path of error seem
alluring to them on the earth and
shall mislead them all, 40 except
for Your chosen servants.’41 God said, ‘This is the path
which leads straight to Me.42 Surely, you shall have no power
over My true servants, except
those misguided ones who
choose to follow you. 43 Surely,
Hell is the place to which they
are destined, 44 it has seven gates:
and each gate has a portion of
them allotted to it.45 Truly, the God-fearing shall
dwell amid gardens and
fountains—46 “Enter therein in
peace and security!”— 47 We
shall cleanse their hearts of all
traces of ill-will; they will be
like brethren seated on couches
facing one another. 48 They will
not be affected by any weariness
there, and they will never be
made to leave.’ 49 Tell My
servants that I alone am the
Forgiving, the Merciful One,50 and that My punishment is a
painful punishment.
51 Tell them about Abraham’s
guests: 52 when they came to him
they greeted him with: ‘Peace.’
He said,‘We feel afraid of you.’53 They said, ‘Do not be afraid.
We come to you with good news.
You shall have a son who shall
be endowed with great
knowledge.’ 54 He said, ‘Do you
bring me such news despite my
old age? What kind of good
news are you bringing me?’55 They said, ‘We have, indeed,
given you glad tidings in truth;
do not therefore despair.’ 56 He
said, ‘Who but the misguided
despair of the mercy of
their Lord?’57 Then he asked, ‘What then
is your business, O messengers?’58 They said, ‘We have been sent
forth to a guilty people.’ 59 Except
for Lot’s household, all of whom
we shall rescue, 60 except his
wife. We have decreed that she
will be among those who remain
behind [and will be lost].61 When the messengers came
to Lot and his family, 62 he said,
‘You are strangers [to me].’63 They said, ‘No, but we bring
195 The Rocky Tract 15:63
you news about what they
disputed, 64 and we have come to
you with the truth, and surely we
are truthful, 65 so leave with your
family some time in the latter
part of the night, and walk behind
them. Let none of you look back.
Go where you are commanded.’66 We communicated to him Our
decree that the guilty ones would
be destroyed by the morning.67 The people of the town came
along, revelling, 68 and he told
them, ‘These are my guests, so
do not disgrace me. 69 Fear God
and do not shame me.’ 70 They
said, ‘Did we not forbid you to
extend hospitality to strangers?’71 He said, ‘Here are my
daughters, if you must act in
this way.’72 By your life, they wandered
on in their wild intoxication73 and thereupon the blast [of
Our punishment] overtook them
at sunrise. 74 We turned the town
upside down and rained upon
them stones of clay. 75 There are
certainly signs in that for those
who can learn a lesson—76 it is
still there on the highway—
77 surely in this there is a sign for
those who believe.78 The people of the Wood
were also surely wrongdoers.79 So We took vengeance on
them. Both are still there on the
highway, plain for all to see.80 The people of al-Hijr also
rejected Our messengers: 81 We
gave them Our signs, but they
turned away from them. 82 They
carved out dwellings in the
mountains, and lived in
security—83 the blast overtook
them early one morning. 84 All
that they had acquired was of no
avail to them.85 We have created the heavens
and the earth and all that is
between the two in accordance
with the requirements of truth
and wisdom. The Hour is surely
coming. So overlook [their
faults] with gracious forgiveness.86 Surely your Lord is the All
Knowing Creator!87 We have given you the seven
oft-recited verses and the great
Quran. 88 Do not strain your eyes
towards the worldly benefits We
have bestowed on some of them,
15:64 Al-Hijr 196
nor grieve on their account.
Lower your wing of mercy for
the believers 89 and say, ‘I am,
indeed, a plain warner,’ 90 such
as We send down for those who
are divisive, 91 and who have
broken the Scripture into
fragments— 92 by your Lord, We
shall question them all 93 about
whatever they had been doing!94 Proclaim openly what you
are commanded, and avoid the
polytheists. 95 We will, surely,
suffice you against those who
mock, 96 who set up another god
with God, but they shall soon
learn. 97 We do indeed know
how your heart is distressed at
what they say. 98 But glorify
your Lord with His praise,
and prostrate yourself: 99 and
worship your Lord until
what is certain [death] comes
to you.
1 6 . B E E S ( A L - N A H L )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 The decree of God is at hand,
so do not seek to hasten it. Holy
is He, and exalted far above
what they associate with Him.2 He sends down the angels with
revelations by His command to
whoever of His servants He
pleases, saying, ‘Warn mankind
that there is no god save Me, so
fear Me.’ 3 He created the heavens
and the earth for a true purpose.
He is exalted above anything
they associate with Him.4 He created man out of a
[mere] drop of sperm: yet he
shows himself to be openly
contentious! 5 He has created
cattle for you: from them you
derive food and clothing and
numerous other benefits; 6 how
pleasant they look when you
bring them home in the evenings
and when you take them out to
pasture in the mornings. 7 They
carry your loads to places which
you could otherwise not reach
without great hardship—surely,
your Lord is compassionate and
197 Bees 16:7
merciful—8 He has created
horses, mules and donkeys, so
that you may ride them, and also
so that they may be put on show,
and He creates other things
beyond your knowledge.9 The straight way leads to
God and there are ways which
deviate from the right course. If
He so wished, He would guide
you all.10 It is He who sends down
water from the sky. From it you
drink and with it trees grow on
which you pasture your cattle.11 And with it He grows for you
corn, and the olive and the date-
palm and the grape, and all kinds
of fruits. Surely, in that is a sign
for a people who reflect.12 He has made the night and
the day and the sun and the moon
subservient to you; and all the
stars are subservient to His
command. Surely in this there are
signs for men of understanding.13 On the earth He has fashioned
for you objects of various hues:
there is certainly a sign in that
for people who pay heed.14 It is He who subjected to
you the sea, so that you may eat
its fresh seafood and bring forth
from it ornaments to wear. You
see the ships cleaving through it.
All this, so that you may seek
His bounty and feel grateful.15 He has set up on the earth
firm mountains, lest it shake
under you, and rivers and tracks,
so that you may find your way,16 and He has set up other
landmarks. By these and by the
stars people set their course.17 Is He, then, who creates like
him who does not create? Will
you not, then, take heed? 18 If
you tried to count God’s
blessings, you would never be
able to number them. God is
ever forgiving and most merciful.19 God knows all that you conceal
and all that you reveal.20 Those you call on besides
God cannot create anything. They
are themselves created. 21 They
are dead, not living; nor do they
know when they will be raised to
life. 22 Your God is the One God.
As for those who do not believe
in the Hereafter, their hearts
refuse to admit the truth and they
16:8 Al-Nahl 198
are arrogant. 23 God surely knows
what they conceal and what they
reveal. He does not love the
arrogant.24 When they are asked, ‘What
is it that your Lord has sent
down?’ they say, ‘Stories of the
ancients.’ 25 Let them bear all
their own burdens on
Resurrection Day as well as some
of the burdens of those whom
they lead astray without any
knowledge. How evil the load
with which they shall be
burdened!26 Those who went before them
also plotted. But God struck at
the foundations of their building,
and the roof fell down upon
them from above. The
punishment came upon them
from where they did not expect.27 Then on the Day of
Resurrection He will disgrace
them, and say, ‘Where are My
partners for whose sake you
opposed [My guidance]?’ Those
given knowledge will say, ‘This
Day humiliation and affliction
will surely befall those who have
been denying the truth.’
28 Those whose lives the angels
take while they are wronging
their own souls will offer
submission saying, ‘We were
not doing anything evil!’
‘Indeed!’ the angels will reply,
‘God is aware of what you have
been doing, 29 so enter the gates
of Hell. There you shall abide
forever.’ Evil indeed is the abode
of the arrogant.30 When those who fear God
are asked, ‘What has your Lord
sent down?’ Their reply is,
‘Goodness!’ The reward of those
who do good works in this world
is good, but the abode of the
Hereafter is even better. The
home of the righteous is indeed
excellent. 31 They will enter
Gardens of Eternity, where rivers
will flow at their feet. There they
will have all that they wish for.
Thus God rewards the righteous,32 those whose lives the angels
take in a state of purity, saying
[to them], ‘Peace be on you;
enter the Garden, because of
[the good] which you did [in the
world].’33 Are they waiting for the
199 Bees 16:33
angels to come to them, or the
fulfillment of your Lord’s will?
Those who went before them did
the same. God did not
wrong them; rather they
wronged themselves. 34 The evil
results of their deeds overtook
them, and that which they
used to mock at encompassed
them.35 Those who associate [others
with God] say, ‘If God had so
willed we would not have
worshipped anything besides
Him, neither we nor our fathers,
nor would we have forbidden
anything without His sanction.’
So did those who went before
them. The duty of the messengers
is only to convey the message
clearly.36 We raised among every
people a messenger who
enjoined, ‘Worship God alone
and shun the evil one.’ Then
among them were some whom
God guided and among them
were others who became
deserving of ruin. So travel across
the earth and observe what was
the end of those who rejected the
messengers. 37 Though you
[Prophet] may be eager to guide
them, God does not guide those
whom He lets go astray, [because
of their refusal to give a positive
response to the truth]. They will
have no supporters.38 They swear their strongest
oaths by God that God will never
raise the dead to life—
nonetheless, it is a promise truly
binding on Him, even though
most people do not realize it—39 this is so that He may make
clear to them what they have
differed about and so that those
who are bent on denying the
truth may realize that they were
lying. 40 When We will something
to happen, all that We say is,
‘Be!’ and it is.41 As for those who, after
persecution, migrated from their
homes for the cause of God, We
will provide them with a goodly
abode in this life: but truly the
reward of the Hereafter will be
greater, if they only knew it.42 They are the ones who are
steadfast and put their trust in
their Lord.
16:34 Al-Nahl 200
43 Before you also the
messengers We sent were but
[mortal] men to whom We
vouchsafed revelation. Ask the
People of the Book, if you do not
know. 44 [We sent them] with
clear signs and scriptures. We
have sent down the Reminder to
you, to enable you to make clear
to mankind what has been sent
down to them, so that they may
reflect upon it.45 Do those who devise evil
plans feel secure that God will
not make them sink into the
land, or that a punishment will
not come upon them from where
they least expect? 46 Or that He
will not seize them suddenly in
their daily activities and they
will not be able to frustrate Him?47 Or that He will not punish
them by giving them a fright?
Indeed, your Lord is kind and
merciful.48 Have they not observed the
things God has created, casting
their shadows right and
left, prostrating themselves
before God in all humility?49 Everything in the heavens and
all the creatures on the earth
prostrate themselves before God,
as do the angels, and they do not
behave proudly: 50 they fear their
Lord above them, and do what
they are commanded.51 God says, ‘Do not take two
gods. He is only One God. So
fear Me alone.’ 52 To Him belongs
whatsoever is in the heavens and
on the earth, and obedience is
due to Him alone. Will you then
fear anyone other than God?53 Whatever blessing you have
is from God, and to Him you
turn for help when distress befalls
you, 54 yet no sooner does He
relieve your distress than some
among you set up other partners
besides their Lord, 55 showing
no gratitude for what We have
given them. Enjoy yourselves
awhile; but soon you will know!56 They even appoint a share of
what We have provided for them
[to false gods] they know nothing
of. You shall surely be questioned
about the lies you have been
fabricating.57 They assign daughters to
God—glory be to Him!—but for
201 Bees 16:57
themselves [sons] that they desire
to have. 58 When the birth of a
girl is announced to any of them,
his face darkens and he is filled
with gloom. 59 In his shame he
hides himself away from his
people, because of the bad news
he has been given. Should he
keep her and feel disgraced or
bury her in the dust? How ill
they judge! 60 The attribute of
evil applies to those who do not
believe in the Hereafter, while to
God applies the highest attribute,
for He is Mighty, the Wise.61 If God were to take people
to task for their wrongdoing, He
would not leave even one living
creature on earth, but He gives
them respite till an appointed
time: when their time comes
they cannot delay it for an hour,
nor can they bring it forward.62 They attribute to God what
they themselves dislike and their
tongues utter the lie that all good
things are for themselves.
Without doubt, the Fire awaits
them, and they shall be hastened
on into it.63 By God! We have sent
16:58 Al-Nahl 202
messengers before you to other
nations. But Satan made their
[foul] deeds seem fair to them
and today he is their patron.
They shall have a painful
punishment. 64 We have only sent
down the Book to you so that
you can make clear to them that
concerning which they differ,
and as a guidance and a mercy to
people who believe.65 God sends down water from
the sky and with it revives the
earth when it is dead. There is
truly a sign in this for people
who listen.66 There is also a lesson for
you in cattle. From the contents
of their bellies, from between
the dung and blood, We give you
pure milk to drink, pleasant for
those who drink it. 67 From the
fruit of the date palm and the
grapes you derive intoxicants as
well as wholesome food. Surely
in this there is a sign for men of
understanding.68 Your Lord inspired the bee,
saying, ‘Make your homes in the
mountains, in the trees, and also
in the structures which men erect.
69 Then feed on every kind of
fruit, and follow the trodden
paths of your Lord.’ From its
belly comes a drink with different
colours which provides healing
for mankind. Indeed, in this there
is a sign for people who give
thought.70 God created you; then He
shall cause you to die: and some
shall have their lives prolonged
to abject old age, ceasing to
know anything after once having
had knowledge. God is all
knowing and powerful.71 God has given some of you
more provision than others.
Those who have been given more
are unwilling to pass their
provision to the servants they
possess so that they become their
equals. Will they then deny the
favour of God?72 God has given you wives
from among yourselves, and
given you children and
grandchildren from your wives,
and provided wholesome things
for you. Will they then believe in
falsehood and deny God’s
favours? 73 They worship, instead
203 Bees 16:77
of God, things that have no
control over their provision from
the heavens or the earth in any
way, nor do they have any power
[to do so]. 74 Do not compare
God with anyone. God has
knowledge, but you have not.75 God makes a comparison
between an owned slave
possessing no power over
anything, and someone to whom
We have given plentiful
provision, who gives out from it
privately and openly. Are they
equal? Praise be to God! But
most people do not know it.76 God makes another
comparison between two men,
one of whom is dumb and cannot
do a thing, and is a burden on his
master. Wherever he sends him
on an errand, he brings [him] no
good. Is he equal to someone
who commands justice and is on
a straight path?77 God alone has knowledge
of the hidden reality of the
heavens and the earth; and the
coming of the Hour [of
Judgement] is like the twinkling
of an eye, or even quicker.
Surely God has full power over
everything.78 God brought you forth from
the wombs of your mothers while
you knew nothing, and gave you
hearing and sight and hearts, so
that you might be grateful.79 Do they not see the birds
held poised in the vault of
heaven? Nothing holds them up
except God. Truly, there are signs
in this for those who believe.80 God has made your houses
places of rest for you and made
tents for you out of cattle hides,
which are light for you to carry,
both when you are travelling and
when you are staying in one
place. He provides for you from
the wool and fur and hair of
cattle, household goods and
articles for use for a time.81 God has granted you shade
out of what He has created,
places of shelter in the
mountains, garments with which
to protect yourselves from the
heat and coats of mail to shield
you in battle. Thus He completes
His favour to you, so that you
may submit wholly to Him. 82 But
16:78 Al-Nahl 204
if they turn away, you are
responsible only for conveying
the message clearly. 83 They
recognize the favour of God, yet
they deny it; and most of them
are ungrateful.84 On the Day when We raise
up a witness from every people,
those who were bent on denying
the truth will not be permitted to
put forward excuses, or to make
amends. 85 When the wrongdoers
face their punishment, it shall
not be lightened for them, nor
shall they be granted any
reprieve.86 When those who associate
partners with God see their
associate gods, they will say,
‘Our Lord, these are our associate
gods whom we used to call upon
instead of You.’ But they will
throw back their words at them,
[saying], ‘Indeed you are liars,’87 and on that Day they will offer
total submission to God: and all
that they used to devise will fail
them. 88 Upon all who were bent
on denying the truth and who
turned others away from the path
of God, We will heap punishment
upon punishment, in return for
all the corruption that they
brought about.89 The Day will come when
We raise up in every people a
witness against them from
amongst themselves, and We will
bring you as a witness against
these people. We have sent down
the Book to you to make
everything clear, a guidance, and
a mercy, and glad tidings for
those who submit to God.90 God commands justice,
kindness and giving their [due
to] near relatives, and He forbids
all shameful deeds, and injustice
and transgression. He
admonishes you so that you may
take heed!91 Fulfill the covenant of God
when you have made one; and
do not break your pledges after
their confirmation. Indeed you
have made God your surety; for
God knows all that you do. 92 Do
not, like the woman who unravels
her yarn after its strands have
been firmly spun, use your oaths
as a means of deceiving one
another, just because one
205 Bees 16:97
community could become bigger
than another. God is only testing
you by means of this. On the Day
of Resurrection He will make it
clear to you what you differed
about.93 Had God pleased, He would
have united you in one
community; but He lets go astray
whoever He will, and guides
whoever He will, and you will
surely be called upon to account
for all your actions.94 Do not use your oaths to
deceive each other lest any foot
should slip after being firmly
placed and lest you should taste
the penalty for having hindered
others from the path of God, for
then you will have a terrible
punishment. 95 Do not sell God’s
covenant for a paltry price. What
is with God is better for you if
you only knew.96 What you have shall pass
away, but what is with God is
lasting. We will certainly give
those who are patient their reward
according to the best of their
actions. 97 To whoever does good
deeds, man or woman, and is a
believer, We shall assuredly give
a good life; and We will bestow
upon them their reward according
to the best of their works.98 When you read the Quran,
seek God’s protection from
Satan, the rejected one. 99 Surely,
he has no power over those who
believe and put their trust in
their Lord; 100 he has power only
over those who are willing to
follow him and associate others
with God.101 When We substitute one
revelation for another—and God
knows best what He reveals—
they say, ‘You are but a
fabricator.’ Indeed, most of them
have no knowledge. 102 Say, ‘The
Holy Spirit has brought it down
as truth from your Lord, so that
He may strengthen those who
believe, and also as guidance
and as good tidings for those
who submit.’103 Indeed, We know what they
say, ‘It is only a human being
who imparts [all] this to him!’
But the tongue of him to whom
they point is foreign, whereas
this is plain Arabic speech.
16:98 Al-Nahl 206
104 God will not guide those who
will not believe in the signs of
God; and theirs will be a painful
punishment. 105 Only those
fabricate lies concerning God
who do not believe in the signs
of God, and these are the liars.106 As for one who denies God
after he has believed, with the
exception of one who is forced
to do it, while his heart rests
securely in faith, but one who
opens his heart to a denial of
truth shall incur the wrath of
God; such as these will have a
terrible punishment. 107 This is
because they prefer the life of
this world to the Hereafter and
because God does not guide those
who deny the truth. 108 These are
the ones upon whose hearts and
hearing and sight God has set a
seal. It is they who are heedless,109 and in the life to come, they
will surely be the losers.110 Surely, your Lord will be
forgiving and merciful towards
those who migrated after
persecution and strove hard for
the cause of God and remained
steadfast. 111 On the Day each
soul will come pleading for itself,
and every soul will be repaid
according to whatever it has
done, and they will not be
wronged.112 God makes an example of a
town that was secure and at ease,
with provisions coming to it
abundantly from every quarter.
Then it showed ingratitude for
God’s blessings and God
afflicted it with hunger and fear
because of what they did.113 There came to them a
messenger from among
themselves, but they rejected him
as false, so punishment overtook
them, as they were wrongdoers.114 So eat the lawful and good
things which God has provided
for you, and be thankful for the
blessing of God, if it is Him you
worship. 115 He has forbidden
you only carrion, blood and the
flesh of swine; also any [flesh]
consecrated in the name of any
but God. But if anyone is forced
by dire necessity, not desiring it
or exceeding his immediate need,
God is forgiving and merciful
towards him.
207 Bees 16:123
116 Do not falsely declare, ‘This
is lawful, and this is forbidden,’
so as to invent a lie against God.
Surely, those who invent a lie
against God do not prosper—117 their enjoyment of this life is
brief, and they shall have a
painful punishment.118 We forbade the Jews those
things We told you about before.
We did not wrong them; rather
they wronged themselves.119 Surely, your Lord is most
forgiving and ever merciful
towards those who do evil in
ignorance and truly repent
thereafter and make amends.120 Abraham was a community
in himself devoted to God and
true in faith, He was not one of
the polytheists; 121 he was thankful
for His blessings. God chose
him and guided him to a straight
path. 122 We gave him blessings
in this world, and in the Hereafter
he shall be among the righteous.123 Then We revealed Our will to
you [O Muhammad], saying,
‘Follow the religion of Abraham,
the upright in faith; he was not
one of the polytheists.’
124 The Sabbath was only
enjoined on those who differed
about it. Your Lord will judge
between them on the Day of
Resurrection regarding the things
about which they differed.125 Call to the way of
your Lord with wisdom and
fair exhortation and reason
with them in a way that
is best. Your Lord knows
best those who have strayed
away from His path, and He
16:124 Al-Nahl 208
knows best those who are
rightly guided.126 If you want to retaliate,
retaliate to the same degree as
the injury done to you. But if you
are patient, it is better to be so.127 Endure with patience; truly,
your patience is possible only
with the help of God. Do not
grieve for them, or feel distressed
because of their plottings, 128 for
God is with those who are
righteous and those who do good.
1 7 . T H E N I G H T J O U R N E Y ( A L - I S R A’ )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Holy is He who took His servant
by night from the sacred place of
worship [at Makkah] to the
remote house of worship [at
Jerusalem]—the precincts of
which We have blessed, so that
We might show him some of Our
signs. Surely, it is He who is All
Hearing, and All Seeing.2 We gave Moses the Book
and made it a guide for the
Children of Israel saying, ‘Do
not take anyone besides Me as a
guardian, 3 you who are the
descendants of those whom We
carried in the Ark with Noah. He
was a truly thankful servant.’4 We forewarned the Children
of Israel in the Scripture, ‘Twice
you shall commit evil in the
land. You shall become great
transgressors.’ 5 When the time
of the first of these warnings
came, We sent against you
servants of Ours, of great might,
who ravaged your homes. So the
warning was fulfilled, 6 and after
a time We allowed you to prevail
over them once again and aided
you with wealth and offspring
and made you greater in number.7 [We said], ‘If you persevere
in doing good, you will be doing
good to yourselves; but if you do
evil, it will go against you.’
When the time of the second
warning came, [We roused
against you others] to disgrace
you utterly and to enter the place
of worship as they had entered it
before, utterly destroying all that
they laid their hands on. 8 We
said, ‘Your Lord may yet have
mercy on you, but if you do the
same again, so shall We: We
have made Hell a prison for
those who deny the truth.’9 Surely, this Quran guides to
the most upright way and gives
good news to the believers who
do good deeds, so that they will
have a great reward 10 and warns
those who deny the life to come
with grievous punishment.11Yet man asks for evil as
eagerly as he should ask for
good. Truly, man is indeed hasty.a
12 We have made the night and
the day as two signs. We blotted
out the sign of night and made
the sign of the day illuminating,
so that you may seek the bounty
of your Lord and learn to compute
the seasons and the years. We
have set everything forth in
detail.13 We have tied the fate of
every man about his neck; and
We shall produce a book for him
on Resurrection Day that he will
find spread open. 14 It will say,
‘Read your record, today there
will be none but yourself to call
you to account!’ 15 Whoever
209 The Night Journey 17:15
a God wants man to be patient about
acquiring the immediate luxuries of
the world, so that he should keep to
the right path on his journey towards
the Hereafter. But man, due to his
hasty nature, rushes to acquire ephem-
eral worldly luxuries, which prove to
be impediments to his continuing his
onward journey. Man’s desire for in-
stant gratification is the greatest rea-
son for his being deprived of the
bounties of the Hereafter.
chooses to follow the right path,
follows it for his own good; and
whoever goes astray, goes astray
at his own peril; no bearer of
burdens shall bear the burdens
of another. Nor do We punish
until We have sent forth a
messenger to forewarn them.16 When We decide to destroy
a town, We command the affluent
section of its people, but they
transgress therein; thus the word
[sentence of punishment] is
justified, then We destroy the
town utterly. 17 How many
generations have We destroyed
since Noah’s time. Your Lord is
well aware of the sins of His
servants and observes them all.18 We give whatever We will
to whoever desires immediate
gains; but then We have prepared
Hell for him which he will enter,
disgraced and rejected.19 Anyone who desires the
Hereafter and makes a proper
effort to achieve it, being a true
believer, shall find favour with
God for his endeavours.20 Upon all, both these [who
desire the world] and those [who
desire the Hereafter] We bestow
the bounty of your Lord: none
shall be denied the bounty of
your Lord—21 see how We have
exalted some above others [in
the present life]. Yet the Hereafter
shall be greater in degrees of
rank and greater in excellence.22 Do not set up any other
deity beside God, lest you incur
disgrace, and be forsaken. 23 Your
Lord has commanded that you
should worship none but Him,
and show kindness to your
parents. If either or both of them
attain old age with you, say no
word of contempt to them and
do not rebuke them, but always
speak gently to them 24 and treat
them with humility and
tenderness and say, ‘Lord, be
merciful to them both, as they
raised me up when I was little.’25 Your Lord knows best what is
in your hearts; if you are
righteous, He is most forgiving
to those who constantly turn to
Him.26 Give to your relatives their
due, and also to the needy and
the wayfarer. Yet do not spend
17:16 Al-Isra’ 210
extravagantly; 27 spendthrifts are
the brothers of Satan, and Satan
is ever ungrateful to his Lord—28 but if, while waiting for your
Lord’s bounty which you are
expecting, you turn them down,
then at least speak to them kindly.29 Be neither miserly, nor so
open-handed that you suffer
reproach and become destitute.30 Your Lord gives abundantly to
whom He will and sparingly to
whom He pleases. He is informed
and observant about His servants.31 You shall not kill your
offspring for fear of want. It is
We who provide for them, and
for you. Indeed, killing them is a
great sin. 32 Do not commit
adultery,a for it is an indecent
thing and an evil course.33 Do not take life which God
has made inviolate—except by
right. If anyone is killed
wrongfully, We have given
authority to his heirs to demand
retribution, but let them not
transgress the prescribed limits
in exacting retribution; for then
he will be assisted [by the law].34 Do not go near the orphans’
property, except with the best of
intentions, until they reach
maturity. Keep your promises;
you will be called to account for
every promise which you have
made! 35 Give full measure, when
you measure, and weigh with
accurate scales. That is fair, and
better in the end.36 Do not follow what you do
not know; for the ear and the eye
and the heart shall all be called
to account. 37 Do not walk
proudly on the earth. You cannot
cleave the earth, nor can you
rival the mountains in height.38 All that is evil in the sight of
your Lord, and is detestable.39 This is part of the wisdom
that your Lord has revealed to you.
Do not set up any other deity
with God, lest you be cast into
Hell, condemned and rejected.
211 The Night Journey 17:39
a One of the evils, which God wants
to root out completely, is adultery, or
zina. That is, adultery is such a great
evil and is proof of such shameless-
ness, that man should abstain even
from its initial stages. Here, only a
basic command has been given on this
subject.
40 What! Has your Lord then
favoured you with sons and
Himself adopted females from
among the angels? What you say
is monstrous. 41 We have
explained [the truth] in this Quran
in various ways, so that they may
take heed, but it has only
increased their aversion. 42 Say,
‘If there were [other] deities
along with Him, as they claim,
then they would surely have tried
to find a way to the Lord of the
Throne. 43 Glory be to Him!
Exalted above all that they say!44 The seven heavens and the
earth and all who dwell therein
glorify Him. There is not a single
thing but glorifies Him with His
praise; but you do not understand
their glorification. Truly, He is
forbearing and most forgiving.’45 When you recite the Quran,
We place an invisible barrier
between you and those who do
not believe in the Hereafter. 46 We
put veils over their hearts
to prevent them from
comprehending it, and We afflict
their ears with deafness. When
you mention your one and only
Lord in your recitation of the
Quran, they turn their backs in
aversion.47 We are fully aware of what
they wish to hear when they
listen to you; and what they say
when they converse in private;
and when the wrongdoers say,
‘You are only following a man
who is bewitched!’ 48 See to what
they liken you! But they are lost
and cannot find the right path.49 ‘What!’ they say, ‘When we
are turned to bones and dust,
shall we be restored to life?’50 Say, ‘[yes] even if you turned
to stones or iron, 51 or any other
substance which you think
unlikely to be given life.’ Then
they will ask, ‘Who is it that
shall restore us to life?’ Answer
them, ‘He who created you the
first time.’ They will then shake
their heads at you and say, ‘When
will that be?’ Say, ‘It may well
be very soon.’ 52 On that Day He
will call you, and you will answer
by praising Him, thinking that
you have stayed for only a little
while.’53 Tell My servants that they
17:40 Al-Isra’ 212
should always say what is best.
Satan stirs up discord among
them. Surely, Satan is an outright
enemy to man.54 Your Lord is fully aware of
you. He may show you mercy if
He will, or punish you if He will.
We have not sent you as their
guardian. 55 Your Lord knows
best about everyone in the
heavens and on the earth. We
gave some prophets more than
others: We gave David the
Psalms.56 Call upon those you claim
to be deities besides God and
you will know that they have no
power to remove affliction from
you or to bring about any change
[that you may desire]. 57 Those
whom they invoke are themselves
seeking a way of approach
to their Lord, vying with
each other to be near Him.
They hope for His mercy
and fear His punishment. Surely,
the punishment of your Lord
is to be feared: 58 there is
not a town [community] but
We shall destroy or sternly
punish it before the Day of
Judgement. That is recorded in
the Book.59 Nothing has prevented Us
from sending signs, except the
fact that previous peoples denied
them. We gave the people of
Thamud the she-camel as a clear
sign, yet they mistreated her. We
give signs only by way of
warning.60 We told you that your Lord
encompasses mankind. We
granted the vision which We
showed you, as well as the tree
that is cursed in the Quran, only
as a test for mankind. We warn
them, but this only increases
their insolence.61 When We said to the angels,
‘Prostrate yourselves before
Adam,’ they all prostrated
themselves except Iblis. He said,
‘Am I to prostrate myself to
someone You have created out
of clay?’ 62 and [further] said,
‘Do you see this being whom
You have exalted above me? If
You reprieve me until the Day of
Resurrection, I will bring all but
a few of his descendents under
my sway.’
213 The Night Journey 17:62
63 God said, ‘Go away! Hell
will be your reward and the
reward of any of them who follow
you—an ample recompense.64 Go ahead and entice
whomsoever of them you can,
with your voice, and mount
assaults against them with your
cavalry and infantry and be their
partner in wealth and offspring,
and make promises to them—
Satan promises nothing but
delusion—65 but over My true
servants you shall have no power.
Your Lord will be their all-
sufficient guardian.’66 Your Lord is He who causes
the ships to move onward for
you across the sea, so that you
may go in quest of His bounty:
He is most merciful towards
you. 67 When danger threatens
you at sea, you call upon Him,
and forget all others you are
wont to invoke. But when He
brings you safe to land, you turn
away from Him. Man is ever
ungrateful.68 Do you then feel secure
against His causing you to be
swallowed up by the earth when
you are back on land, or His
sending a deadly sand storm
upon you? Then you will find
none to protect you. 69 Or do you
feel secure against His sending
you back to sea once again, and
raising a fierce gale against you
and causing you to drown in
requital for your ingratitude? You
will find no helper against Us
there.70 We have honoured the
children of Adam, and have borne
them on the land and the sea,
given them for sustenance things
which are good and pure; and
exalted them above many of Our
creatures.71 The Day will surely come
when We shall summon every
people with their leader. Then
those who are given their records
in their right hands will read
their records [eagerly] and shall
not in the least be wronged:72 but whoever has been blind in
this life will be blind in the life
to come, and still farther astray
from the path [of truth].73 They indeed sought to entice
you away from what We revealed
17:63 Al-Isra’ 214
to you, hoping that you might
invent something else in Our name;
and then they would have accepted
you as a close friend. 74 If We had
not made you stand firm, you would
almost have inclined towards
them a little. 75 In that case, We
should have inflicted a double
punishment in this life, and a
double punishment after death.
Then you would have found no
one to help you against Us.76 Indeed they came near to
unsettling you, so that they might
expel you from the land, but in
that case they themselves would
not have stayed on for very long
after you. 77 Such was Our way
with the messengers We sent
before you, and you will find no
change in Our ways.78 Say your prayers from the
decline of the sun, until nightfall;
and at dawn—the recitation at
dawn is indeed witnessed. 79 And
during the night wake up and
pray, as an additional prayer: it
may well be that your Lord will
raise you to a station of praise
and glory.’80 Say, ‘Lord, grant me an
honourable entrance and an
honourable exit, and sustain me
with Your power.’ 81 Say, ‘Truth
has come and falsehood has
disappeared. Falsehood is always
bound to wither away.’82 We send down in the Quran
that which is healing and a mercy
to those who believe; as for the evil-
doers, it only increases their loss.83 When We bestow a favour
upon a person, he turns his back
and draws aside; and when evil
afflicts him he gives himself up
to despair. 84 Say to them,
‘Everyone acts in his own way,
and your Lord knows best who is
rightly guided.’85 They question you about the
Spirit. Say, ‘The Spirit is at my
Lord’s command, and you have
been granted but little
knowledge.’86 If We pleased, We would
certainly take away that which
We have revealed to you—then
you would find no guardian for
you against Us—87 except
through the special mercy of
your Lord. His favours towards
you has been great indeed.
215 The Night Journey 17:87
88 Say, ‘If all men and jinn
gathered together to produce the
like of this Quran, they could not
produce one like it, however
much they helped one another.’89 In this Quran, We have set
out all kinds of examples for
people, yet most of them persist
in denying the truth. 90 They
declare, ‘We will never believe
in you until you cause a spring to
flow for us from the earth; 91 or
you have a garden of date palms
and vines, and cause streams to
flow plentifully in the midst of
them; 92 or you cause the heavens
to fall down on us in pieces, as
you have claimed; or you bring
God and the angels before us
face to face; 93 or you have a
house made of gold; or you
ascend to heaven; and we will
not believe in your ascension
until you send down to us a
Book that we can read.’ Tell
them, ‘Holy is my Lord. I am but
a human being sent as a
messenger.’94 Nothing has prevented men
from believing whenever
guidance came to them, save
their query, ‘Has God sent a
human being as a messenger?’95 Say, ‘If there had been angels
walking around on earth, We
would have sent an angel down
from Heaven as a messenger for
them.’ 96 Say, ‘God suffices as a
witness between me and you
[all]. He is informed about and
observant of His servants.’97 Those whom God guides
are the truly guided, and for
those whom He lets go astray,
you will find no helper besides
Him, on the Day of Judgement.
We shall gather them together,
lying upon their faces, blind,
dumb and deaf. Their abode shall
be Hell. Every time the fire dies
down, We will make it blaze up
again for them. 98 That is their
recompense, because they
rejected Our signs and asked,
‘When we are reduced to bones
and dust, shall we indeed be
raised up as a new creation?’99 Do they not see that God,
who has created heavens and
earth, is able to create the like of
them? He has appointed a
definite term for them; there is
17:88 Al-Isra’ 216
no doubt about it, but the
wrongdoers persist in denying
the truth. 100 Say, ‘Even if you
possessed the treasures of the
mercy of my Lord, you would
surely hold them back for fear of
spending. Man is indeed
niggardly!’101 We did indeed give Moses
nine manifest signs; you can
enquire from the Children of
Israel. When he came to them,
Pharaoh said to him, ‘Moses, I
can see that you are bewitched.’102 He said, ‘You know full well
that none has sent down these
signs but the Lord of the heavens
and the earth as eye-opening
evidence. Indeed, Pharaoh, I can
see that you are doomed.’ 103 So
he resolved to scare them out of
the land: but We drowned him
along with all those who were
with him. 104 Thereafter, We said
to the Israelites, ‘Dwell in the
land. When the promise of the
Hereafter comes to be fulfilled,
We shall assemble you all
together.’105 We have revealed the Quran
with the truth, and with the truth
it has come down. We have sent
you forth only to give good news
and to give warning—106 We
have revealed the Quran bit by
bit so that you may recite it to the
people slowly and with
deliberation. We have imparted
it by gradual revelation.107 Say to them, ‘You may
believe in it or not. Those to
whom knowledge had been
revealed, fall on their faces in
prostration when it is recited,108 and say, “Glory to our Lord!
Our Lord’s promise is bound to
be fulfilled.” 109 They fall down
upon their faces weeping, and
[the Quran] increases their
humility.’110 Say, ‘Whether you call on
God or on the Merciful One: His
are the finest names.’ Pray neither
in too loud a voice nor in silence,
but between these two extremes.
Seek a middle way 111 and say,
‘All praise is due to God who
has never begotten a son and
who has no partner in His
kingdom; nor does anyone aid
Him because of any weakness of
His. Proclaim His greatness.’
217 The Night Journey 17:111
1 8 . T H E C AV E ( A L - K A H F )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
(218)
1 Praise be to God who has sent
down to His servant—the Book,
which is free from any ambiguity2 and which rightly directs, to
give warning of stern punishment
from Him, and to proclaim to the
believers who do righteous deeds
that they shall have an excellent
recompense, 3 wherein they will
remain [in a state of bliss]
forever. 4 And to warn those who
say, ‘God has taken to Himself a
son.’ 5 They have no knowledge
of this, nor did their forefathers
have any either. What they say is
monstrous: they are merely
uttering falsehoods!6 Perhaps you may destroy
yourself with grief if they do not
believe in this message. 7 We
have adorned the earth with
attractive things, so that We may
test mankind as to which one is
best in conduct, 8 but We shall
reduce all this to barren waste.9 Do you think that the Men of
the Cave and the Inscription
were one of Our wondrous signs?10 When the young men sought
refuge in the cave, they said,
‘Our Lord, grant us Your special
mercy and give us right guidance
in our affair.’ 11 Then We caused
them to fall into a deep sleep for
many years inside the cave.12 Then We woke them up again
so that We might see which of
the two groups would better
calculate the time they had stayed
there.13 We shall tell you their story
as it really was. They were young
men who believed in their
Lord, and on whom We
bestowed further guidance. 14 We
strengthened their hearts, when
they rose up and declared, ‘Our
Lord is the Lord of the heavens
and the earth. Never shall we
call upon any deity other than
Him: for that would be an
outrageous thing to do. 15 These
people of ours have taken deities
other than Him. Why do they not
produce clear evidence about
them? Who is more wicked than
the man who invents a falsehood
against God?16 ‘Now that you have
withdrawn from them and from
all that they worship instead of
God, take refuge in that cave;
your Lord will extend His mercy
to you and will make fitting
provision for you in your
situation.’17 The sun could be observed
to incline away from their cave
on the right, as it rose, and to
turn away from them on the left,
when it set, while they lay in the
wide space inside the cave. This
is one of the signs of God. He
whom God guides is rightly
guided; but for him whom He
lets go astray, you will find no
helper or guide.18 You would have thought
they were awake, though they
lay asleep. We turned them over,
to the right and the left, while
their dog lay at the cave’s
entrance with legs outstretched.
Had you looked down and seen
them, you would have surely
turned your back and fled in
terror.19 In the course of time, We
raised them up again so that they
might question one another. One
of them asked, ‘How long have
you stayed [here]?’ They said,
‘We have stayed a day, or part of
a day.’ But others said, ‘Your
Lord knows best how long you
have stayed here. Let one of you
go then with these silver coins to
the town, and let him find out
what food is purest there, and
bring you back a supply of it. Let
him conduct himself with
caution and not disclose your
whereabouts to anyone: 20 for if
they find you out, they will stone
you to death, or force you back
into their faith. In that case you
would never prosper.’21 Thus We disclosed things to
them so that they might know
that God’s promise was true and
there was no doubt about the
Hour [Judgement Day]. The
people argued about them among
themselves. They said, ‘Build a
monument over them. Their Lord
knows best concerning them.’
219 The Cave 18:21
Those who prevailed in their
affair said, ‘Let us surely build a
place of worship over them.’22 Some will say, ‘They were
three, the fourth was their dog,’
and others will say, ‘They were
five, the sixth was their dog,’
guessing at random. And yet
others say, ‘They were seven, the
eighth was their dog.’ Say, ‘My
Lord knows best their number.’
Only a few know anything about
them. Therefore, do not enter
into controversies over them,
nor seek information about them
from any of them; 23 never say of
anything, ‘I shall certainly do
this tomorrow,’ 24 without
[adding], “if God so wills.”
Remember your Lord whenever
you might forget and say, ‘I trust
my Lord will guide me to that
which is even nearer to the right
path than this.’25 [Some say], ‘They stayed in
their cave three hundred years,’
and to that some have added
another nine years. 26 Say, ‘God
knows best how long they stayed
in it.’ Only God has knowledge
of the unseen in the heavens and
on the earth. How well He sees
and how well He hears! Man has
no other guardian besides Him.
He allows none to share His
sovereignty.27 Proclaim what has been
revealed to you from your Lord’s
Book. None can change His
words. You shall find no refuge
besides Him. 28 Keep yourself
attached to those who call on
their Lord, morning and evening,
seeking His pleasure; and do not
let your eyes turn away from
them, desiring the attraction of
worldly life; and do not obey one
whose heart We have made
heedless of Our remembrance,
one who pursues his own whims
and becomes dissolute.29 Say, ‘This is the truth from
your Lord. Let him who will,
believe in it, and him who will,
deny it.’ For the wrongdoers We
have prepared a Fire which will
cover them like a canopy, and if
they beg for water, they will be
given water as hot as molten
lead, which will scald their faces:
how dreadful a drink, and how
evil a resting place!
18:22 Al-Kahf 220
30 As for those who believe
and do good deeds—We do not
let the reward of anyone who
does a good deed go to waste—31 they shall dwell in the Gardens
of eternity where rivers flow at
their feet. Reclining upon raised
couches, they will be adorned
with bracelets of gold, and will
wear green robes of fine silk and
heavy brocade. An excellent
reward and an excellent resting
place!32 Recite to them the parable
of two men! One of them We
provided with two vineyards
which We surrounded with date-
palms, and placed a field of
grain in between; 33 each garden
produced its fruit and did not fail
to yield its best; We even caused
a river to gush forth in the midst
of them, 34 and so he had fruit in
abundance. While conversing
with his companion, he said, ‘I
am wealthier than you are, and
have a bigger following!’35 Having thus harmed his own
soul, he entered his garden
saying, ‘I do not think this will
ever perish, 36 and I do not believe
that the Hour will ever come.
Even if I am returned to my
Lord, I shall surely find a better
place than this.’37 His companion replied, in
the course of their discussion,
‘Do you deny Him who created
you from dust, from a small drop
of fluid, then formed you into a
man? 38 But as far as I am
concerned, God alone is my Lord
and I set up no partners with
Him. 39 When you entered your
garden, why did you not say,
“That which God wills [will
surely come to pass], there is no
power save with God?” Although
you see I have less wealth and
offspring than you, 40 my Lord
may well give me a garden better
than yours and send down
thunderbolts from heaven upon
your vineyard, turning it into a
barren waste; 41 or its water may
sink into the earth, so that you
will never be able to find it
again!’42 So it was, and all his fruit
was destroyed. The vines had all
fallen down on their trellises,
and their owner wrung his hands,
221 The Cave 18:42
bewailing all that he had spent
on his garden. He said, ‘Would
that I had not associated anyone
with my Lord!’ 43 He had no
party to help him against God,
nor was he able to defend
himself. 44 The only support is
from God, the True God. He is
the best in rewarding and the
best in respect of the final
outcome.45 Give them an example about
worldly life. It is like the
vegetation of the earth that
thrives when watered by the rain,
which We send down from the
sky, and then it all becomes
stubble which the wind blows
away. God has power over all
things. 46 Wealth and children
are an ornament of the life of this
world. But deeds of lasting merit
are better rewarded by your Lord
and a far better source of hope.47 The Day We shall make the
mountains move and you will
see the earth laid bare, and We
shall gather all mankind together
and shall not leave any one of
them behind. 48 They will be
ranged before your Lord,
standing in rows and He will say
to them, ‘Now you have come to
Us as We created you at first. But
you supposed that We would not
appoint the time for the
fulfillment of Our promise to
you.’49 The Book [of deeds] will be
placed before them and you will
see the guilty apprehensive about
its contents. They will say, ‘Woe
to us! What a record this is! It
does not leave any deed, small or
large, unaccounted for!’ They
will find everything they ever
did laid in front of them: your
Lord will not be unjust to anyone.50 When We said to the angels,
‘Prostrate yourselves before
Adam,’ all prostrated themselves
except Satan. He was one of the
jinn and he disobeyed his Lord’s
command. Do you then take him
and his offspring as protectors
instead of Me, despite their
enmity towards you? This is
an evil exchange for the
wrongdoers!51 I did not call them to witness
at the creation of the heavens
and the earth, nor at their own
18:43 Al-Kahf 222
creation; I do not take as My
helpers those who lead others
astray.52 On that Day He will say to
them, ‘Call on those whom you
thought to be My partners.’ And
they will call on them, but their
prayer will not be heard; and We
shall place a barrier [of enmity]
between them. 53 The guilty shall
see the Fire and realize that they
are going to fall into it: they shall
find no way of escape from it.54 We have explained in
various ways in this Quran, for
the benefit of mankind, all kinds
of examples, but man is most
contentious. 55 Nothing prevents
people from believing when they
are given guidance or from
asking forgiveness of their Lord,
but the fact that the fate of the
previous peoples should befall
them or to have the punishment
come upon them face to face.56 We only send the messengers
to bring good news and to give
warning. Those who deny use
fallacious arguments to nullify
the truth, treating My revelations
and My warnings as a jest. 57 Who
is more wicked than he who has
been reminded of the revelations
of his Lord, then turns away
from them and forgets what his
own hands have done? We have
cast veils over their hearts lest
they understand Our words, and
made them hard of hearing. Call
them as you may to the right
path, they shall never be guided.58 Your Lord is the Forgiving
One, the possessor of mercy. If
He had to take them to task for
the wrongs they have done, He
would have hastened their
punishment. They have an
appointed time beyond which
there will be no escape for
them. 59 We destroyed these
communities when they went on
doing wrong, and We appointed
a time for their destruction.60 Recall how Moses said to
his servant, ‘I shall not give up
until I reach the place where
both seas meet, even if it takes
me years!’ 61 But when at last
they came to the land where the
two seas met, they forgot their
fish and it swiftly made its way
into the sea. 62 After they had
223 The Cave 18:62
passed the place, Moses said to
his young companion, ‘Bring us
our morning meal; we have indeed
been fatigued by this journey.’63 He replied, ‘Did you see
when we were resting by the
rock, that I forgot the fish? Satan
made me forget it, so I did not
mention it. It made its way to the
sea in a miraculous way!’64 Moses said, ‘That is just what
we were looking for.’ So they
went back the way they had
come, 65 and they found one of
Our servants to whom We had
granted Our mercy and had given
a knowledge from Ourself.66 Moses said to him, ‘May I
follow you, so that you may
guide me by what you have been
taught?’ 67 He replied, ‘You will
not be able to bear with me
patiently. 68 How could you be
patient in matters beyond your
knowledge?’ 69 Moses said, ‘God
willing, you will find me patient,
and I will not disobey you in any
thing.’ 70 He said, ‘Well then, if
you would follow me, do not ask
me about anything till I speak of
it to you.’
71 So they set out, but, when
they got into a boat, the man
made a hole in it. Moses
exclaimed, ‘Have you made a
hole in the boat to drown the
people in it? You have indeed
done a dreadful thing!’ 72 He
replied, ‘Did I not tell you that
you would never be able to bear
with me patiently?’ 73 He said,
‘Do not take me to task for what
I have forgotten, and do not be
hard on me on account of what
I have done!’ 74 So they travelled
on. Then they met a young boy
and the man killed him. Moses
said, ‘Have you slain an innocent
person without his having slain
anyone? Indeed, you have done
a terrible thing!’75 The man said, ‘Did I not tell
you that you would not be able to
have any patience with me?’76 Moses replied, ‘If I ever ask
you about anything after this, do
not let me accompany you. I will
have given you sufficient
excuse.’ 77 So they went on until
they came to a town. They asked
its people for food, but were
refused hospitality. They found a
18:63 Al-Kahf 224
wall in the town which was
about to fall down. His
companion buttressed it and
Moses said, ‘Had you wished,
you could have demanded
payment for your labours.’ 78 He
answered, ‘This is where you
and I must part company. But
first I will tell you the meaning
of the things you could not bear
with patiently.79 ‘The boat belonged to some
poor people who made their
living from the sea. I wanted to
damage it because there was a
king coming behind them who
was seizing every boat by force.80 As for the youth, his parents
were believers and we feared
that he would trouble them by
rebellion and denial of truth.81 We wanted their Lord to
replace him with someone
purer than him and more
compassionate.82 ‘The wall belonged to two
young orphans in the town whose
father had been a righteous man,
and a treasure of theirs lay
underneath it. So your Lord
wanted them to come of age and
then to dig up their treasure as a
mercy from Him. I did not do [it]
of my own accord. That is the
explanation of the things about
which you were not able to
restrain yourself.’83 They will ask you about
Dhu’l-Qarnayn. Say, ‘I will give
you an account of him.’ 84 We
established him in the land, and
gave him the means to achieve
all things.85 He travelled on a certain
road; 86 until, when he reached
the setting of the sun, he found
it setting in a spring of murky
water and near it he found
some people. We said, ‘Dhu’l-
Qarnayn! You can either punish
them or else you can treat them
with gentleness.’ 87 He said, ‘We
shall certainly punish him who
does wrong; then he shall be
brought back to his Lord who
will punish him with a grievous
punishment, 88 but whoever
believes and does good works
shall have a good reward and We
shall facilitate his matter by Our
command.’89 Then he followed yet another
225 The Cave 18:89
path, 90 until he came to the
rising-place of the sun, where he
found it rising on a people for
whom We had provided no
shelter from it. 91 Thus indeed it
was. We had full knowledge
of him.92 Then he followed still
another path, 93 until he came
between two mountains. He
found beside them a people who
could scarcely understand a word
[of his language]. 94 They said,
‘O Dhu’l-Qarnayn! Gog and
Magog are causing corruption in
the land, so may we pay you
tribute on condition that you set
a barrier between us and them?’95 He said, ‘What My Lord has
given me is better [than any
tribute]. Help me with a force of
labourers and I will erect a barrier
between you and them: 96 bring
me blocks of iron.’ Then, when
he had filled the gap between the
mountain sides [he said], ‘Now
blow on the fire with your
bellows.’ When the iron blocks
were red with heat, he said,
‘Bring me molten brass to pour
on them.’ 97 So they [Gog and
Magog] were not able to scale it,
nor were they able to bore
through it, 98 and he said, ‘This
is a mercy from my Lord. But
when the promise of my Lord
comes to pass, He will level it to
dust. My Lord’s promise is ever
true!’99 On that Day, We shall let
them surge against each other
like waves and then the Trumpet
will be blown and We shall gather
them all together. 100 On that
Day We shall lay Hell bare before
those who deny the truth,101 who have turned a blind eye
to My reminder and a deaf ear to
My warning.102 Do those who deny the
truth, think that they can make
My servants patrons instead of
Me? We have reserved Hell as a
lodging for those who deny the
truth.103 Say, ‘Shall I tell you of
those who will lose the most
through their actions? 104 They
are those whose efforts have
been wasted in the life of the
world while they thought they
were doing good. 105 They are
18:90 Al-Kahf 226
those who deny their Lord’s signs
and the meeting with Him.’ So
their works are in vain, and We
shall give them no weight on the
Day of Resurrection. 106 Hell will
be their reward, because they
denied the truth, and made a jest
of My signs and My messengers.107 Those who believe and do
good works shall have the
gardens of Paradise for their
abode. 108 They shall forever
dwell in the Gardens of Paradise,
desiring no change.
109 Tell them, ‘If the ocean
became ink for writing the words
of my Lord, surely the ocean
would be exhausted before the
words of my Lord came to an
end—even if We were to add
another ocean to it.’110 Say, ‘I am only a human
being like yourselves. It is
revealed to me that your God is
One God. So let him who hopes
to meet his Lord do good deeds
and let him associate no one else
in the worship of his Lord.’
1 9 . M A RY ( MARYAM )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Kaf Ha Ya ‘Ayn Sad
2 This is an account of your
Lord’s mercy bestowed upon His
servant Zachariah, 3 when he
called upon his Lord in low
tones, saying, 4 ‘Lord, my bones
have weakened and my head has
turned hoary with age, but never,
Lord, have I been disappointed
in my prayer to you: 5 now I fear
my kinsmen when I am gone. [I
have no hope of their continuing
my mission] for my wife is
barren, so grant me a successor
from Yourself, 6 to be my heir
and to be the heir [of the
blessings] of the House of Jacob;
and make him, O my Lord,
acceptable to you.’7 ‘Zachariah, We bring you
good news of a son whose name
227 Mary 19:7
shall be John. We have not given
such a name to anyone before.’8 ‘My Lord!’ [said Zachariah],
‘How shall I have a son when my
wife is barren and I have reached
such extreme old age?’9 He said, ‘It will be so! Your
Lord says, ‘‘It is easy for Me for
I created you when you were
nothing before.”’ 10 He said, ‘My
Lord, grant me a sign!’ He said,
‘Your sign will be that you will
not speak to anyone for three
successive days and nights,
although sound in body.’ 11 Then
Zachariah came forth from the
shrine to his people and told
them by signs to glorify the Lord
morning and evening.12 To John We said, ‘Hold fast
the Book,’ and while he was still
a child, We bestowed upon him
wisdom, 13 and tenderness [of
heart] and purity. He was pious,14 and dutiful towards his parents
and was not haughty or
disobedient. 15 Peace be on him
on the day of his birth, and on
the day of his death, and peace
will be on him on the day he is
raised up to life again.
16 Recount in the Book how
Mary withdrew from her people
to an eastern place 17 and kept
herself in seclusion from them.
We sent her Our angel, who
presented himself to her as
a full-grown human being.18 When she saw him, she said, ‘I
seek refuge in the compassionate
God from you; [do not come
near] if you fear the Lord.’ 19 ‘I
am only the messenger of your
Lord,’ he replied. ‘I shall bestow
upon you the gift of a son
endowed with purity.’ 20 She said,
‘How can I have a son when no
man has touched me; and neither
have I been unchaste?’ 21 [The
angel] replied, ‘So shall it be;
your Lord says, “This is easy for
Me; and We shall make him a
sign to people and a blessing,
from Us. This has been
decreed.”’22 So she conceived him and
withdrew with him to a distant
place. 23 The pains of labour
drove her to the trunk of a date-
palm. She said, ‘Oh, if only I had
died before this and passed into
oblivion!’
19:8 Maryam 228
24 But a voice called out to her
from below, ‘Do not despair.
Your Lord has provided a brook
that runs at your feet, 25 and if
you shake the trunk of this palm-
tree, it will drop fresh ripe dates
on you. 26 Eat and drink and
rejoice. And if you see any human
being say, “I have vowed a fast
[of silence] to the Gracious God,
and will not speak with any
human being today.”’27 Carrying her child, she
brought him to her people. They
said, ‘O Mary, you have indeed
done something terrible! 28 Sister
of Aaron, your father was not an
evil man, nor was your mother
an unchaste woman!’29 She pointed to the child.
They said, ‘How shall we talk to
someone who is a child in the
cradle?’ 30 [But] he said, ‘I am
God’s servant. He has given me
the Book and made me a prophet;31 He has made me blessed
wherever I may be, and has
enjoined upon me prayer and
almsgiving throughout my life.32 He has made me dutiful toward
my mother, and He has not made
me arrogant or wicked. 33 Blessed
was I on the day I was born, and
blessed I shall be on the day I die
and on the day I am raised to life
again.’34 Such was Jesus, the son of
Mary. That is the whole truth,
about which they still dispute:35 it does not befit the majesty of
God that He should beget a son.
Glory be to Him! He is far above
that: when He decrees something,
He says only, ‘Be!’ and it is.36 God is my Lord and your
Lord, so worship Him alone.
That is the right path. 37 Yet
different groups differed among
themselves. How awful it will be
for those who have rejected the
truth when a dreadful Day
arrives! 38 How sharp of hearing,
how sharp of sight they will be
when they come to Us. But today,
these evil-doers are obviously
lost in error.39 Warn them of [the coming
of] the Day of Remorse, when
everything will have been
decided, while they are heedless
and do not believe. 40 It is We
who will inherit the earth and all
229 Mary 19:40
who dwell upon it: they shall all
return to Us.41 Also recount the story of
Abraham in the Book. He was a
man of truth, and a prophet.42 He said to his father, ‘Why do
you worship something that can
neither hear nor see nor benefit
you in any way? 43 Father, I have
been given some knowledge
which has not come to you, so
follow me: I shall guide you
along a straight path. 44 Father!
Do not worship Satan—for, truly,
Satan is a rebel against the Most
Gracious One! 45 Father, indeed
I fear lest a punishment from the
Gracious One afflict you, and
you become a friend of Satan.’46 [His father] said, ‘Do you
reject my deities, Abraham? If
you do not desist, I shall surely
stone you to death. Keep out of
my way!’ 47 Abraham replied,
‘Peace be on you: I will pray to
my Lord for your forgiveness—
He has indeed been gracious to
me—48 I will separate myself
from you and from whatever you
call upon besides God, and I will
pray only to my Lord. It may
well be that, in calling on my
Lord, I will not be disappointed.’49 So when he had separated
himself from them and from
what they worshipped besides
God, We bestowed on him Isaac
and Jacob, and We made each of
them a prophet. 50 We granted
them Our mercy and bestowed
on them true and high renown.51 Tell also of Moses in the
Book. He was indeed a chosen
one, and was a messenger and a
prophet. 52 We called out to him
from the right side of the mount
and made him draw near to be in
close communion with Us; 53 and
We gave him as his helper, out of
Our mercy, his brother Aaron,
having made him a prophet.54 Tell also of Ishmael in the
Book. He was true to his promise
and was a messenger and a
prophet. 55 He exhorted his
people to prayer and almsgiving,
and his Lord was pleased with
him. 56 Tell also of Idris in the
Book. He was a man of truth and
a prophet. 57 We raised him to a
high position.58 These are the ones whom
19:41 Maryam 230
God has favoured: the prophets
from among the descendants of
Adam and of those whom We
carried in the Ark with Noah; the
descendants of Abraham, of
Israel, and of those whom We
have guided and chosen. For
when the revelations of the
Merciful were recited to them,
they fell down, prostrating
themselves and weeping.59 But then they were
succeeded by generations who
neglected their prayers and were
driven by their own desires. They
will assuredly meet with
destruction, 60 except for those
who repent and believe and do
good deeds. These will enter
Heaven, and they will not be
wronged in the least.61 Theirs shall be the Gardens
of Eden, which the All Merciful
has promised to His servants
without their having seen them,
and most surely His promise
shall be fulfilled. 62 They will
not hear therein anything vain,
only greetings of peace. They
will receive their provision there
morning and evening. 63 That is
the Garden which We will grant
to those of Our servants who
have been God-fearing.64 We never descend except at
your Lord’s command. What is
before us and behind us and all
that lies between belong to Him.
Your Lord is not forgetful. 65 He
is the Lord of the heavens and of
the earth and of all that is between
the two. So worship Him alone
and be steadfast in His worship.
Do you know of anyone equal to
Him in His attributes?66 Man asks, ‘When I am once
dead, shall I be raised to life?’67 But does man not remember
that We created him when he
was nothing before? 68 By your
Lord, We shall most surely gather
them and the devils too; and
bring them close to hell on their
knees.69 Then We shall carry off from
every group those who were
most stubborn in their opposition
to the Gracious One—70 We
surely know best those most
deserving of the fires of hell—71 and there is not one of you but
shall pass through it: a decree
231 Mary 19:71
from your Lord which must be
fulfilled. 72 Then We shall save
those who feared God, but the
wrongdoers shall be left there on
their knees.73 When Our clear revelations
are recited to them, those who
deny the truth say to the faithful,
‘Which of the two sides is better
in respect of position and makes
a more impressive assembly?’74 We have destroyed so many
generations before them, who
surpassed them in material power
and splendour.75 Say, ‘The Gracious One
grants respite for a time to those
who are in error until, when they
are confronted with what
they are promised, either in
punishment [in the world] or in
[the approach of] the Hour, they
will realize who is worse in
respect of position and who is
weaker in resources.’76 God increases His guidance
to those who follow guidance;
and lasting good works are better
in the sight of your Lord and are
most rewarding.77 Have you seen him who
denies the truth in Our revelations
and says, ‘I shall certainly be
given wealth and children.’78 Has he looked to the unseen,
or has he made a pledge to the
Merciful One? 79 Indeed not. We
shall record what he says and
shall prolong the punishment for
him. 80 We shall inherit all that
he boasts of, and he will come to
Us all alone. 81 They have taken
other deities besides God, so
that they may be a source of
strength for them. 82 But they
shall reject their worship and
turn against them.83 Do you not see that We
have appointed devils to incite
those who deny the truth to
disobedience? 84 So take no hasty
action against them; their days
are numbered. 85 The Day will
surely come when We shall
gather the God-fearing like
[honoured] guests before the
Compassionate God 86 and We
shall drive the sinful like a thirsty
herd into Hell. 87 No one will
have power to intercede, except
for those who have permission
from the Lord of Mercy.
19:72 Maryam 232
88 They say, ‘The Gracious One
has begotten a son.’ 89 Assuredly,
you have uttered a monstrous
falsehood: 90 the heavens might
well-nigh burst thereat, and the
earth break asunder, and the
mountains fall down in pieces,91 because they ascribe a son to
the Gracious One. 92 It does not
become the majesty of the
Compassionate God to take to
Himself a son: 93 there is none in
the heavens or on the earth but
shall return to the Merciful in
utter submission— 94 He has
counted them and numbered
them precisely— 95 each one of
them shall come to Him one by
one on the Day of Judgement.96 The Lord of Mercy will bestow
affection upon those who believe
and perform righteous deeds.97 We have made it [the Quran]
easy, in your own language
[Prophet], so that you may
convey glad news to the righteous
and give warning to a stubborn
people. 98 How many generations
We have destroyed before them!
Can you find a single one of
them alive now, or hear so much
as a whisper from them?
2 0 . TA H A (TA H A )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Ta Ha
2 We have not sent the Quran
down to you to distress you,3 but only as an exhortation for
him who fears God; 4 it is a
revelation from Him who has
created the earth and the high
heavens, 5 the All Merciful
settled on the throne. 6 To Him
belongs whatever is in the
heavens and whatever is on the
earth, and whatever lies in
between them, and all that lies
under the ground.7 Whether you speak aloud [or
in a low voice], He hears all, for
He knows your secrets and what
233 Ta Ha 20:7
is even more hidden. 8 God, there
is no deity but Him. His are the
most excellent names.9 Have you heard the story of
Moses? 10 When he saw a fire,
he said to his family, ‘Wait here.
I can see a fire. Perhaps I can
bring you a brand from it, or find
some guidance at the fire.’11 When he came close to it, a
voice called out, ‘Moses, 12 I am
your Lord! Take off your sandals,
for you are in the sacred valley
of Tuwa. 13 I have chosen you.
So listen to what is being
revealed. 14 I am God. There is
no deity save Me; so worship Me
alone, and say your prayers in
My remembrance. 15 The Hour is
coming. But I choose to keep it
hidden, so that every human
being may be recompensed in
accordance with his labours.16 Do not let anyone who does
not believe in it and follows his
own desires turn you away from
it and so bring you to ruin.’17 ‘What do you have in your
right hand, Moses?’ 18 He replied,
‘It is my staff. I lean on it, and
with it, I beat down the leaves
for my flock; I also have other
uses for it.’ 19 God said, ‘Moses,
cast it down.’ 20 So he threw it
down, and all of a sudden, it
turned into a fast-moving serpent.21 God said, ‘Take hold of it, and
have no fear: We shall return it to
its former state. 22 Put your hand
under your armpit: it will come
out [shining] white, without any
blemish. This shall be another
sign.a 23 We shall show you some
of Our greatest signs. 24 Go to
Pharaoh; he has transgressed all
bounds.’25 Moses said, ‘My Lord! open
up my heart, 26 and make my task
easy for me. 27 Loosen the knot
in my tongue, 28 so that they may
understand my speech, 29 and
appoint for me a helper from
among my family, 30 Aaron, my
20:8 Ta Ha 234
a The fact is that whatever there is in
this world, or whatever the events, all
are ‘miracles’ of God, be it the emerg-
ing of a sapling from the earth or a
stick becoming a snake. ‘Extraordi-
nary’ miracles are shown through
prophets to make man take notice of
the everyday miracles wrought by
God.
brother. 31 Strengthen me through
him, 32 and let him share my
task, 33 so that we may glorify
You much 34 and remember You
much: 35 You are surely watching
over us.’ 36 God said, ‘You have
been granted your request, Moses.37 ‘Indeed, We showed Our
favour to you before also, 38 when
We revealed Our will to your
mother, saying, 39 ‘‘Put him into
a chest, then cast it into the river.
The river will cast it on to the
bank, and there he shall be taken
up by an enemy of Mine and
his.” I showered My love on you
so that you might be reared under
My watchful eye. 40 Recall when
your sister walked along and
said, “Shall I guide you to one
who will take care of him?”
Thus We returned you to your
mother, so that her eyes might
be cooled and that she might not
grieve. And you killed a man and
We delivered you from sorrow.
We tested you with various trials.
You stayed for a number of years
among the people of Midian,
then you came upto the standard,
Moses.
41 I have chosen you for
Myself. 42 Go, you and your
brother, with My signs, and do
not be remiss in remembering
Me. 43 Go, both of you to
Pharaoh, for he has transgressed
all bounds. 44 But speak gently
to him; perhaps he may yet take
heed or even feel afraid.’45 They both said, ‘Our Lord,
We fear that he may commit
some excess against us, or exceed
all bounds in transgression.’46 God said, ‘Do not fear; I am
with you both. I hear and I see.47 Go to him and say, “We are
both messengers from your Lord.
Let the Children of Israel go
with us, and do not oppress
them. We have brought you a
Sign from your Lord, and may
peace be upon whoever follows
the right guidance; 48 it has been
revealed to us that punishment
shall overtake him who rejects it
and turns away!”’49 Pharaoh said, ‘Who then is
the Lord of you both, Moses?’50 Moses replied, ‘Our Lord is
He who has given everything its
form, then guided it.’ 51 Pharaoh
235 Ta Ha 20:51
asked, ‘What about the previous
generations?’ 52 Moses said, ‘My
Lord alone has knowledge of
that, recorded in a Book. My
Lord neither errs nor forgets.’53 It is He who has laid out the
earth for you and traced routes in
it and sent down water from the
sky. We have brought forth every
sort of plant with it, 54 so eat
and graze your cattle. In this
there are signs for men of
understanding. 55 From the earth
We have created you and We will
return you to it, and from it We
shall bring you forth a second
time.a
56 We showed Pharaoh all Our
signs but he rejected them and
refused to believe in them. 57 He
said, ‘Have you come to us to
turn us out of our land by means
of your magic, Moses? 58 We
will certainly bring you magic to
match it. So appoint a time
between us and you, in an open
space, which neither we nor you
will fail to keep.’59 Moses said, ‘The day of the
encounter will be the day of the
festival, and let the people
assemble when the sun has risen
high.’ 60 So Pharaoh withdrew,
devised his stratagem and
returned. 61 Moses said to them,
‘Woe to you! Do not invent
lies against God, lest He
destroy you by some calamity:
whoever invents lies is bound
to fail.’62 Then they [the magicians]
conferred among themselves,
whispering to one another.63 They said, ‘Certainly they are
both magicians who want to
drive you out of your land by
their magic, and destroy your
best traditions. 64 Therefore,
decide upon your plan and then
come forward in ranks. Whoever
gains the upper hand today shall
surely triumph.’65 They said, ‘Moses, will you
throw down first, or shall we be
20:52 Ta Ha 236
a The creation of the earth, the
institution of the system of rainfall,
the growth of plants and greenery and
other natural phenomena that have
made the present world habitable for
living things, are astonishingly great
and wonderful manifestations.
the first to throw down?’66 Moses said, ‘You throw down
first.’ Suddenly their ropes and
staffs appeared to him, by their
magic, to be moving about
rapidly, 67 and in his heart Moses
became apprehensive, 68 but We
said, ‘Do not be afraid. It is you
who shall prevail.’ 69 Throw
down that [staff] which is in
your right hand—it shall swallow
up what they have wrought, for
what they have wrought is only
a magician’s trick. A magician
shall never thrive, come whence
he may. 70 The magicians then
prostrated themselves. They said,
‘We believe in the Lord of Aaron
and Moses.’71 Pharaoh said, ‘Have you
believed in him before I permit
you? He must be your master
who has taught you magic. I will
cut your hands and feet off on
opposite sides, and have you
crucified on the trunks of palm-
trees. You shall know whose
punishment is more severe and
more lasting.’72 They said, ‘Never shall we
prefer you to all the evidence of
the truth that has come to us. Nor
to Him who has brought us into
being. So decide whatever you
will. Your jurisdiction only
covers the life of this world—73 we have believed in our Lord
so that He may forgive us our
sins and forgive us the sorcery
that you have forced us to
practice. God is the best and the
most abiding.’74 Indeed, he who comes to his
Lord a sinner shall be consigned
to Hell; he shall neither die
therein nor live. 75 But he who
comes to Him as a believer,
having done good deeds, shall
be exalted to the highest ranks,76 he will abide forever in the
Gardens of eternity, through
which rivers flow. That is the
recompense for those who purify
themselves.77 We sent a revelation to
Moses saying, ‘Take away My
servants by night and strike for
them a dry path through the sea.
Have no fear of being overtaken
and do not be afraid.’ 78 Pharaoh
pursued them with his hosts, but
they were submerged by the
237 Ta Ha 20:78
sea, which was destined to
overwhelm them. 79 For Pharaoh
had led his people astray and did
not guide them.80 Children of Israel! We
delivered you from your enemies
and We made a covenant with
you on the right side of the
Mount. We sent down manna
and quails for you, 81 ‘Eat from
the wholesome things with which
We have provided you but do not
transgress, lest you should incur
My wrath.’ [We said], ‘He that
incurs My wrath shall surely be
ruined. 82 But I am most forgiving
towards him who turns in
repentance and believes and acts
righteously and follows the right
path.’83 [When Moses was upon the
Mount, God said,] ‘O Moses,
why have you come with such
haste from your people?’ 84 He
said, ‘They are following in my
footsteps, while I have hastened
to You, my Lord, to please You.’85 But God said, ‘We have tested
your people in your absence.
The Samiri has led them astray.’86 Moses returned to his people
in anger and great sorrow. He
said, ‘My people, did your Lord
not make you a handsome
promise? Was my absence too
long for you? Did you desire
that your Lord’s wrath should
descend upon you, when you
broke your promise to me?’87 They answered, ‘We did not
break our promise to you of our
own accord, but we had to carry
loads of the people’s ornaments
and so we threw them [into the
fire] for that was what the Samiri
suggested,’ 88 then he forged a
calf for them—an image
producing a lowing sound. They
said, ‘This is your deity, the deity
of Moses; he has forgotten it.’89 Why did they not see that it
could not give them any response
and had no power to harm or
benefit them?90 Aaron had already told them,
‘O my people! You are only
being tested by this. Your Lord is
the All Merciful, so follow me and
obey my command.’ 91 They replied,
‘We shall not cease to worship it
until Moses returns to us.’92 Moses said to Aaron, ‘What
20:79 Ta Ha 238
prevented you, when you saw
that they had gone astray, 93 from
following me? Why did you
disobey my command?’ 94 Aaron
said, ‘Son of my mother! Do not
seize me by my beard nor by my
head. I was afraid that you would
say, “You have caused dissension
among the Children of Israel and
did not pay heed to my words.”’95 Moses said, ‘What was the
matter with you, Samiri?’ 96 He
said, ‘I perceived what they did
not see. So I took a handful [of
dust] from the footprint of the
Messenger and threw it in [the
calf]. That is what my inner self
prompted me to do.’ 97 Moses
said, ‘Begone! It shall be your
lot to say throughout your life,
“Do not touch me,” and you will
be faced with a fate from which
there will be no escape. Now
look at your deity to which you
have become so devoted: we
shall burn it up, and then scatter
it into the sea. 98 Your only deity
is God, there is no deity but Him.
His knowledge encompasses all
things.’99 Thus We relate to you the
history of past events, and We
have given you a reminder [the
Quran] from Us. 100 Whoever
turns away from it will bear a
heavy burden on the Day of
Judgement, 101 which they shall
bear forever. It will be a grievous
burden for them on the Day of
Judgement, 102 the Day when the
trumpet shall be blown: We shall
gather all the sinners on that
Day. Their eyes will turn blue
with terror 103 and they shall
murmur to one another, ‘You
stayed only ten days on the
earth’—104 We know best what
they will say. The most perceptive
of them will say, ‘You stayed
only one day.’105 They ask you about the
mountains. Say, ‘My Lord will
scatter them as dust 106 and leave
the earth level and bare, 107 with
neither hollows nor upthrust
mounds to be seen. 108 On
that Day all will follow the
summoning voice from which
there is no escape; and all voices
will be hushed before the Lord
of Mercy, and nothing will be
heard except a subdued murmur.
239 Ta Ha 20:108
109 On that Day no intercession
will avail, except from one who
has received the sanction of the
Merciful and of whose words He
approves—110 He knows what is
before them and what is behind
them, but they cannot encompass
Him with their knowledge—111 on that Day all faces shall be
humbled before the Living, Self-
Subsisting One. Those burdened
with evil deeds will come to
grief, 112 but he who does good
works, being a believer, shall
fear no harm nor any injustice.’113 We have thus sent down
the Quran in Arabic and given
all kinds of warnings in it, so
that they may fear God, or may
take heed—114 exalted is God,
the True King. Do not be
impatient with the Quran before
its revelation is completed, and
say, ‘My Lord, increase my
knowledge.’115 We made a covenant with
Adam before you, but he forgot,
and We found him lacking in
constancy. 116 When We said to
the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves
before Adam,’ they all prostrated
themselves, except for Satan,
who refused, 117 We said, ‘Adam,
[Satan] is an enemy to you and to
your wife. Let him not turn you
both out of Paradise and thus
make you come to grief.118 ‘Here you shall not go
hungry or be naked, 119 you shall
not thirst, nor feel the sun’s
heat.’ 120 But Satan whispered
evil to him, saying, ‘Adam, shall
I lead you to the tree of
immortality and to a kingdom
that never declines?’ 121 They
both ate the fruit of this tree, and
so they became conscious of
their nakedness and began to
cover themselves with the leaves
of the Garden. Thus Adam
disobeyed his Lord and fell into
error. 122 Then his Lord had
mercy on him, accepted his
repentance and guided him.123 God said, ‘Go down, both
of you, from here, as enemies to
one another.’ If there comes to
you guidance from Me, then
whoever follows My guidance
will not lose his way, nor will he
come to grief, 124 but whoever
turns away from My reminder,
20:109 Ta Ha 240
will lead a straitened existence
and on the Day of Judgement We
shall raise him up blind 125 and
he will ask, ‘Lord, why have You
raised me up blind, while I
possessed sight before?’ 126 God
will say, ‘Just as Our signs came
to you and you ignored them, so
will you on this Day be ignored.’127 Thus We shall reward the
transgressor who denies the signs
of his Lord. But the suffering of
the life to come is more terrible
and more lasting.128 Do they not learn a lesson
from Our destruction of many
generations before them in whose
dwelling-places they walk about?
Surely in this are signs for men
of understanding. 129 But for a
pre-ordained Word from your
Lord, and a term [of respite]
already fixed, immediate
punishment would inevitably
have taken place. 130 So be patient
with anything they may say and
glorify your Lord with His praise
before the rising of the sun and
before its setting; and glorify
Him in the hours of the night
and at the beginning and end of
the day, so that you may find
comfort.131 Do not regard with envy
the worldly benefits We have
given some of them, for with
these We seek only to test them.
The provision of your Lord is
better and more lasting. 132 Bid
your people say their prayers,
and be constant in their
observance. We demand nothing
from you. It is We who provide
for you, and the best end is that
of righteousness.133 They say, ‘Why does he not
bring us a sign from his Lord?’
Have they not been given
sufficient proof in previous
scriptures? 134 If We had
destroyed them with a
punishment before this, they
would have surely said, ‘Our
Lord, why did you not send to us
a messenger so that we
might have followed Your
commandment before we were
humiliated and disgraced?’135 Say, ‘Everyone is waiting; so
wait if you will. You shall know
who has followed the right path,
and who has found guidance.’
241 Ta Ha 20:135
(242)
21 . T H E P R O P H E T S ( A L - A N B I YA’ )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 The time of reckoning has
drawn near for mankind, yet
they are heedless and turn away.2 Whenever any fresh admonition
comes to them from their Lord,
they listen to it, but do not take
it seriously; 3 their hearts are
distracted and forgetful. The
wrongdoers confer together
secretly, saying, ‘Is not this man
a mortal like you? Will you
succumb to magic with your
eyes open?’ 4 Say, ‘My Lord
knows every word spoken in the
heavens and on the earth. He is
All Hearing, All Knowing.’5 Some say, ‘These are his
confused dreams.’ Others say,
‘He has invented it himself,’ and
yet others say, ‘He is a poet. Let
him bring us a sign as previous
messengers did.’ 6 Before them,
not one of the communities
which We destroyed believed
either. Will these believe?7 The messengers We sent
before you were but men whom
We had sent revelations. Ask the
People of the Book if you do not
know this—8 We did not give
them bodies that needed no food,
nor were they to live forever.9 Then We fulfilled Our promise
to them and We saved them and
those with them whom We
pleased, and We destroyed those
who exceeded all bounds.10 We have revealed a Book
to you which is admonition
for you. Will you not then
understand? 11 How many
communities of evil-doers We
have destroyed, raising up other
people after them. 12 When they
felt Our punishment coming
upon them, they began to flee
from it. 13 They were told, ‘Do
not try to flee, but return to the
comfort and luxuries in which
you exulted and to the places
where you lived, so that you
may be questioned.’ 14 They
said, ‘Woe to us! We were
indeed wrongdoers,’ 15 and this
they kept repeating until We
caused them to become like a
field mowed down, and reduced
to ashes.16 It was not in play that We
created the heavens and the earth
and all that lies between them.17 Had We wished to find a
pastime, We would surely have
found it in that which is with Us,
if such had been Our will. 18 We
will hurl the truth at falsehood,
the falsehood shall be crushed
and will disappear. Woe to you
for what you utter.19 To Him belongs whosoever
is in the heavens and on the earth
and those that are with Him are
never too proud to worship Him,
nor do they grow weary; 20 they
glorify Him night and day
without tiring.21 Have they taken deities from
the earth who can bring the dead
to life? 22 If there had been in the
heavens and on the earth, other
deities besides God, both the
heavens and earth would be
ruined. God, Lord of the throne,
is far above that which they
ascribe to Him. 23 None shall
243 The Prophets 21:30
question Him about His works,
but they shall be questioned.24 Have they taken other deities
besides Him? Say to them, ‘Bring
your proofs. This is the reminder
of those who are with me and the
reminder of those who were
before me.’ But most of them do
not know the truth, and so they
turn away from it. 25 We sent all
messengers before you with this
revelation: ‘There is no deity
save Me, so worship Me alone.’26 They say, ‘The All Merciful
has taken a son!’ Glory be to
Him! They are only His honoured
servants: 27 they do not try to
speak ahead of Him, and they act
at His command. 28 He knows
what is before them and what
is behind them, and they
cannot intercede without His
permission. Indeed they
themselves stand in awe of Him.29 Whoever of them should say,
‘I am a deity besides Him,’ shall
be requited with Hell. Thus do
We reward the wrongdoers.30 Do not those who deny the
truth see that the heavens and the
earth were joined together and
that We then split them asunder?
And that We have made every
living thing out of water? Will
they still not believe?31 We set firm mountains upon
the earth lest it should sway
under them, and We placed
therein passages for paths so that
they might find their way. 32 We
have made the heaven a well-
secured canopy; yet still they
turn away from Our signs. 33 It is
He who created the night and the
day, and the sun and the moon,
each gliding in its orbit.34 We have not granted
everlasting life to any human
being before you; then if you
[Muhammad] should die, will
they live forever? 35 Every soul
shall taste death; We test you
with both good and evil
[circumstances] as a trial. To Us
you shall return.36
When those who deny the
truth see you, they laugh at you,
saying, ‘Is this the one who talks
of your deities?’ Yet it is they
who deny all mention of the
Gracious One.37 Man is a creature of haste.
Soon I will show you My signs,
but do not ask Me to hasten
them. 38 They ask, ‘When will
this promise be fulfilled, if what
you say be true?’ 39 If only those
who deny the truth knew the
time when they would not be
able to ward off the fire neither
from their faces nor from their
backs. They will not be helped!40 Indeed, it will come upon them
suddenly and confound them;
and they will not be able to ward
it off, nor shall they be reprieved.41 Other messengers have been
mocked before you, but those
who scoffed were overwhelmed
by the very thing they had
mocked.42 Say, ‘Who will save you
from the wrath of the Most
Gracious, by night and by day?’
Yet they turn away from the
remembrance of their Lord. 43 Do
they have other deities who can
defend them against Us? They
cannot even help themselves,
neither can they be aided against
Us.44 Yet We bestowed the good
things [of life] upon their fathers
21:31 Al-Anbiya’ 244
for a great length of time. But do
they not see how We are
shrinking their borders? Is it
they who will prevail?45 Say, ‘I warn you only
through the Revelation.’ But the
deaf can hear nothing when they
are warned, 46 yet if even a breath
of your Lord’s punishment
touched them, they would say,
‘Woe to us! We were indeed
wrongdoers.’47 We shall set up scales of
justice on the Day of
Resurrection, so that no soul can
be in the least wronged. Actions
as small as a grain of mustard
seed shall be weighed. We are
sufficient as a reckoner.48 We gave Moses and Aaron
the criterion of right and wrong
and a light and reminder for the
righteous, 49 those who fear their
Lord in the unseen, also dread
the Hour of Judgement. 50 This
is a blessed reminder that We
have revealed to you. Will you
then reject it?51 Before this We gave
Abraham his guidance. We knew
him well. 52 When he asked his
father and his people, ‘What are
these images to which you are so
devoted?’ 53 They replied, ‘We
found our fathers worshipping
them.’ 54 Abraham said, ‘Indeed,
you and your fathers have been
clearly misguided.’55 They said, ‘Have you
brought us the truth or are you
jesting?’ 56 Abraham replied,
‘Your Lord is the Lord of the
heavens and the earth, who
created them, and I bear witness
to that. 57 By the Lord, I will
devise a plan against your deities
after you have gone away and
turned your backs!’ 58 He broke
them all into pieces, except for
the biggest one of them, so that
they might return to it [for
enquiry].59 ‘Who has done this to our
deities? He must be a wrongdoer.’60 Some said, ‘We heard a young
man, called Abraham, talking
about them.’ 61 They said, ‘Then
bring him here in the sight of all
the people, so that they may act
as witnesses.’ 62 They said,
‘Abraham, was it you who did
this to our deities?’ 63 He
245 The Prophets 21:63
answered, ‘Rather this biggest
one of them did it. Ask them, if
they can speak.’64 Then they turned to one
another and said, ‘It is you
yourselves who are in the wrong,’65 then they hung their heads,
and said, ‘O Abraham! You know
they cannot speak.’ 66 Abraham
said, ‘So, do you worship
something instead of God that
can neither benefit you nor harm
you? 67Shame on you and on
whatever you worship instead of
God. Can you not understand?’68 They said, ‘Burn him and
help your deities, if you are
resolved to do something.’ 69 But
We said, ‘Fire! Be cool and a
means of safety for Abraham.’70 They had sought to do him
harm, but We frustrated them.71 And We saved him and Lot
[and brought them] to a land
which We had blessed for all
people, 72 We bestowed Isaac
and then Jacob on him as an
additional boon and We made all
of them righteous. 73 We made
them leaders who guided people
by Our command. We revealed
21:64 Al-Anbiya’ 246
to them the doing of good,
observance of prayer and the
giving of alms and Us alone did
they worship.74 To Lot We gave wisdom and
knowledge and delivered him
from the city which practiced
abomination. They were indeed
a wicked people. 75 We admitted
him to Our mercy; he was a
righteous man.76 Before him Noah cried out
to Us, and We heard his prayer.
We saved him and all his
household from a great distress.77 We helped him against his
people who rejected Our
revelations. They were surely a
wicked people, so We drowned
them all.78 Tell of David and Solomon
who both passed judgement on
the field into which some
people’s sheep had strayed [and
grazed] at night. We bore witness
to their judgement. 79 We gave
Solomon the right understanding
of the matter, and We bestowed
wisdom and knowledge on both
of them. We caused the
mountains and the birds to
celebrate Our praises along with
David. We had the power to do
this— 80 We taught him the art of
making coats of mail for you, to
protect you in battle. Will you
then give thanks?81 We subjected to Solomon
the stormy wind, which blew at
his behest towards the land which
We had blessed. For it is We who
have knowledge of all things—82 We also subjected to him some
of the jinn who dived for him in
the sea and performed other
tasks; We kept a watch over
them.83 Remember Job when he
called on his Lord saying, ‘I
have been afflicted with great
distress: but You are the most
merciful of the merciful.’ 84 We
heard his prayer and relieved his
suffering, We restored to him his
family, doubling their number as
an act of Our grace, and as a
reminder for the worshippers.85 Remember Ishmael and Idris
and Dhul Kifl: they were all
patient and steadfast. 86 We
admitted them to Our mercy.
They were all righteous men.
247 The Prophets 21:94
87 Remember the man in the
whale [Jonah] when he went
away in anger, thinking We had
no power over him. But he cried
out in the darkness, ‘There is no
deity but You. Glory be to You!
I was indeed wrong.’ 88 So We
heard his prayer and delivered
him from sorrow. Thus shall We
deliver the true believers.89 Remember Zachariah, when
he called out to his Lord, ‘Do not
leave me heirless Lord, You are
the best of heirs.’ 90 So We heard
his prayer and bestowed John
upon him and made his wife fit
to bear him a child. They used to
hasten to do good and they called
on Us in hope and fear, and they
were always humble towards Us.91 Remember the one who
guarded her chastity; so We
breathed Our Spirit into her, and
made her and her son a sign for
all people.92 This community of yours is
one community and I am your
Lord, so worship Me. 93 But they
divided themselves into factions,
but to Us they shall all return.94 He who does good works while
he is a believer, shall not see his
efforts disregarded: We record
them all.95 It is ordained that no nation
We have destroyed shall ever
rise again, 96 but when Gog and
Magog are let loose and swarm
down from every hillside and
they spread out, [leaping across
every barrier of land and sea],97 when the true promise of God
draws near, those who denied
the truth will stare in amazement,
crying, ‘Woe to us! We have
been so heedless of this. Indeed,
we were wrongdoers.’98 You and what you worship
instead of God will be fuel for
hell: to it you shall all come—99 if those had really been deities,
they would not have been led
there; but there they will remain
forever. 100 They shall groan.
They will not hear therein
anything else. 101 But those who
have been promised a good
reward by Us will be kept far
away from Hell—102 they will
not hear the slightest sound of it,
and they shall forever abide in a
state of bliss, among everything
21:95 Al-Anbiya’ 248
their souls longed for. 103 The
great Horror [of the Day of
Judgement] shall not grieve
them, and the angels will
welcome them, saying, ‘This is
your Day which you have been
promised.’104 On that Day We shall roll
up the heavens like a scroll of
parchment. As We originated the
first creation, so shall We repeat
it. This is a promise binding on
Us. Truly, We shall fulfill it.105 We have already written in
the Psalms following the
Reminder, ‘My righteous
servants shall inherit the earth.’106 Herein, surely is a message
for true worshippers.107 We have sent you forth as a
mercy to all mankind. 108 Say, ‘It
has been revealed to me that
your God is but One God. Will
you then submit to Him?’ 109 If
they turn away, say, ‘I have
warned you all alike, though I do
not know whether [the scourge]
which you are promised is near
at hand or far off. 110 God surely
knows what you say openly and
also knows what you conceal.
111 Nor do I know whether it may
mean a trial for you and a short
reprieve.’ 112 Say, ‘My Lord,
22 . T H E P I L G R I M A G E ( A L - H A J J )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
249 The Pilgrimage 22:6
judge with truth. Our Lord is the
Gracious One whose help we
seek against what you utter.’
1 O People! Fear your Lord. The
catastrophe of the Last Hour
shall be terrible indeed: 2 when
that Day comes, every suckling
mother shall forsake her infant
and every pregnant woman shall
cast her burden and everyone
will appear intoxicated, although
they are not: the punishment of
God will be severe indeed. 3 Yet
there are some who dispute about
God without having any
knowledge and they follow every
rebellious devil, 4 it has been
decreed concerning anyone
whom he befriends, that he shall
mislead him and guide him to
the punishment of the Fire.5 O people! If you are in doubt
about the Resurrection,
remember that We first created
you from dust, then from a sperm
drop, then from clotted blood,
then a lump of flesh, both shaped
and unshaped, so that We might
manifest to you [Our power]. We
cause what We will to stay in the
womb for an appointed time,
then We bring you forth as infants
and then We cause you to grow
and reach full growth. Then,
some of you will pass away early
in life, while some of you will
reach extreme old age in which
they will know nothing of what
they once knew. You see the
earth, dead and barren, but no
sooner do We send down rain
upon it than it begins to stir and
swell, and produce every kind of
luxuriant vegetation: 6 that is
because God is the truth. It is He
who gives life to the dead and
He has the power to will
anything. 7 The Last Hour is
bound to come. There is no
doubt about it. God will raise up
those who are in their graves.8 There are some who dispute
about God without having any
knowledge or guidance, or any
enlightening Book. 9 They turn
away arrogantly, leading people
astray from God’s path. Such
men shall incur disgrace in this
life and taste the punishment of
the Fire on the Day of Judgement.10 [God will say],‘This is the
reward of your misdeeds. God is
not unjust to His servants.’11 There are some who worship
God half-heartedly, then, if some
good befalls them, they are
content with it, but if an ordeal
befalls them, they revert to their
former ways. They lose in this
world as well in the Hereafter.
That is a clear loss.12 He calls on, instead of God,
something that can neither harm
him, nor benefit him. That is
indeed straying far away—13 he
calls on that which would sooner
harm than help. Such a patron is
indeed evil and such a companion
22:7 Al-Hajj 250
is indeed evil. 14 God will admit
those who believe and act
righteously into Gardens watered
by flowing rivers. God does
whatever He wills.15 Anyone who thinks that God
will not help him [His messenger]
in this world and the Hereafter,
let him stretch a rope up to the
sky; then let him cut it off and
see if his plan can help to remove
the cause of his anger. 16 We
have sent down the Quran as
clear evidence, and surely God
guides whom He will.17 God will judge between the
believers, the Jews, the Sabaeans,
the Christians, the Magians and
the polytheists on the Day of
Judgement. Surely God is witness
to everything.18 Do you not see that whoever
is in the heavens and whoever is
on the earth, as well as the sun
and the moon, and the stars and
the mountains, and the trees and
the beasts and many human
beings—all submit to God? But
there are many who have become
deserving of punishment.
Whoever God disgraces, will
have no one to honour him.
Surely, God does what He wills.19 These two groups, [the
believers and those who deny the
truth], dispute concerning their
Lord. Those who deny the truth
will have garments of fire cut out
for them; and boiling water will
be poured down over their heads,20 anything in their stomachs as
well as their skins will be melted
by it. 21 There will be maces of
iron for them; 22 whenever, in
their anguish they seek to escape
from Hell, they will be driven
back into it, and they will be told,
‘Taste the punishment of Hell.’23 God will admit those who
believe and do good deeds to
Gardens watered by flowing
rivers; there they will be given
bracelets of gold and pearls to
wear and their clothing will be
of silk. 24 For they were guided
to purity of speech. And they
were guided to the path of the
Glorious Lord.25 As for those who deny the
truth and debar others from God’s
path and from the Sacred Mosque
which We set up for all people,
251 The Pilgrimage 22:30
natives and strangers alike, and
all who seek to profane it by
evil-doing—We shall make them
taste a painful punishment.26 We assigned to Abraham
the site of the House, saying,
‘Do not associate with Me
anything and purify My House
for those who circumambulate
[the Kabah] and those who stand
upright, and those who bow and
prostrate themselves.’27 Call mankind to the
Pilgrimage. They will come to you,
on foot, and on every kind of lean
camel, by every distant track 28 so
that they may witness its benefit for
them and, on the appointed days
may utter the name of God over the
cattle He has provided for them.
Then eat their flesh, and feed the
distressed and the needy—29 then
let the pilgrims purify themselves
and fulfil their vows and perform
the circumambulation of the
Ancient House.30 Such is God’s commandment.
Whoever honours that which is
declared sacred by God may be
sure that it counts for good in the
sight of his Lord. Livestock is
lawful for you, except that which
has already been explicitly
forbidden. Then shun the
abomination of the deities and
shun all falsehood.31 Devote yourselves to God,
not associating any partners
with Him. Whoever associates
anything with God is like one
who falls from heaven and is
snatched by the birds or carried
away by the wind to a distant place.32 Thus it is. He who honours
the symbols set up by God shows
the piety of his heart. 33 You may
benefit from the animals for an
appointed time. Then they must
be sacrificed at the Ancient House.34 For every people We have
appointed rites of sacrifice, so
that they may pronounce the
name of God over the cattle
which He has provided for them.
Your God is One God; surrender
yourselves to Him; and give good
news to the humble 35 whose
hearts are filled with awe at the
mention of God; who endure
adversity with fortitude, say their
prayers regularly and spend out
of what We have given them.
22:31 Al-Hajj 252
36 We have appointed for you
the sacrificial camels as one of
the symbols set up by God, in
which there is much good for
you. So invoke God’s name over
them as you line them up for
slaughter, and when they
have fallen down dead, feed
yourselves and feed the needy—
those who do not ask as well as
those who do. We have thus
subjected them to you so that
you may be grateful. 37 Their
flesh and blood do not reach
God: it is your piety that reaches
Him. Thus God has subjected
them to you, so that you may
glorify Him for the guidance He
has given you. Give glad tidings
to those who do good.38 God will surely defend the
believers. God does not love the
perfidious and the ungrateful.39 Permission to fight is granted
to those who are attacked,
because they have been
wronged—God indeed has the
power to help them—40 they are
those who have been driven out
of their homes unjustly, only
because they said, ‘Our Lord is
God.’ If God did not repel the
aggression of some people by
means of others, cloisters and
churches and synagogues and
mosques, wherein the name of
God is much invoked, would
surely be destroyed. God will
surely help him who helps His
cause—God is indeed powerful
and mighty.41 [They are] those who, if We
established them in the land,
would say their prayers regularly
and pay the zakat and enjoin
good and forbid evil. The final
outcome of all affairs rests with
God.42 If your opponents deny
you, remember that, before
them, the people of Noah
and the tribes of ‘Ad
and Thamud denied their
messengers likewise. 43 So did
the people of Abraham and the
people of Lot, 44 and the
inhabitants of Midian also
charged their prophets with
falsehood. Moses was also
rejected. I gave respite to
those who denied the truth, but
then I seized them. Consider
253 The Pilgrimage 22:51
then, how terrible My repudiation
of them was.45 How many a town We
destroyed which was given to
wrongdoing, so that its roofs fell
down, and how many a well is
deserted and how many a lofty
castle is in ruins. 46 Have these
people not travelled through the
land to make their hearts
understand and let their ears
hear; the truth is that it is not the
eyes that are blind but the hearts
that are in the bosoms that are
blinded.47 They ask you to hasten the
punishment; God will never go
back on His promise. A Day with
your Lord is like a thousand
years in your reckoning. 48 To
how many a town We gave
respite while it was given to
wrongdoing. Then I seized it. To
Me all things shall return.49 Say, ‘O people, I am sent
only to give you clear warning.’50 Those who believe and do
good deeds shall be forgiven and
shall receive an honourable
provision. 51 Whereas those who
strive against Our signs, seeking
to defeat their purpose, shall be
the inmates of the Fire.52 Whenever We sent any
messenger or prophet before you,
and he recited anything [of Our
revelation], Satan tampered with
it. But God abrogates Satan’s
interjections and then He firmly
reaffirms His revelations. God is
all knowing and all wise. 53 He
makes Satan’s suggestions a trial
for those whose hearts are
diseased or hardened—and,
surely, the wrongdoers are far
gone in error—54 so that those
who are given knowledge may
realize that this is the truth from
your Lord and thus believe in it,
and so that in their hearts they
may humbly submit to Him. God
will surely guide the faithful to a
straight path.55 Those who deny the truth
will continue in doubt until the
[Last] Hour suddenly comes
upon them or the scourge of the
woeful Day descends upon them.56 On that Day all control will
belong to God. He will judge
between them. Those who
believe and do good deeds shall
22:52 Al-Hajj 254
enter the Gardens of Bliss, 57 but
those who deny the truth and
deny Our signs will receive a
humiliating punishment.58 As for those who left their
homes for the cause of God and
then were slain or died, God will
give them a generous provision.
Surely God is the Best of
Providers. 59 He will admit them
to a place with which they shall
be well-pleased. For God is all
knowing and most forbearing.60 Thus it shall be. As for one
who retaliates to the same extent
as he has suffered and then is
again wronged, God will surely
come to his aid. God is merciful
and forgiving.61 That is because God makes
the night pass into the day and
makes the day pass into the
night. God is all hearing and all
seeing. 62 That is because God is
the Truth while anything they
invoke besides God is sheer
falsehood. God is the Sublime,
the Great One.63 Have you not seen how God
sends down water from sky,
whereupon the earth becomes
green? God is unfathomable, and
all aware; 64 all that is in the
heavens and on the earth belongs
to Him. Surely, God is self-
sufficient and praiseworthy.65 Do you not see, how God
has subjected everything on the
earth to you, and the ships that
sail on the sea by His command.
He holds back the sky from
falling down on the earth, except
with His permission. God is most
compassionate and most merciful
to mankind—66 it is He who gave
you life. Then He will cause you
to die. Then He will give you
life again. Surely, man is most
ungrateful.67 We have appointed for every
community ways of worship to
observe. Let them not dispute
with you on this matter. Call
them to the path of your Lord—
for surely, you are rightly
guided— 68 if they should dispute
with you, then say, ‘God is well
aware of what you do.’ 69 On the
Day of Resurrection, God will
judge between you regarding
your differences. 70 Do you not
know that God has knowledge
255 The Pilgrimage 22:74
of what the heavens and the
earth contain? All is recorded in
a Book; all this is easy for God.71 Yet instead of God, they
worship something for which
God has sent no authority and
about which they have no
knowledge. The wrongdoers will
have no helper. 72 Whenever Our
clear revelations are recited to
them, you will recognize the
disgust on the faces of those who
deny the truth. It is almost as if
they are going to attack those
who recite Our message to them.
Say, ‘Shall I tell you of something
worse than this? It is the Fire that
God has promised to those who
are bent on denying the truth.
What an evil destination!’73 People, here is an
illustration. So listen carefully.
Surely, those whom you invoke
other than God cannot create
even a fly, even if they were all
to combine together to do it, and
if a fly should snatch anything
away from them, they cannot
recover it from it. Both are indeed
weak, the seeker and the sought.74 No just estimate have they
made of God. Surely God is
powerful and mighty.75 God selects messengers
from both angels and from
mankind; God is all hearing and
all seeing: 76 He knows what lies
ahead of them and what is
behind them. All things shall
return to God.77 You who are true believers,
kneel and prostrate yourselves,
worship your Lord and do good
works, so that you may succeed.78 Strive for the cause of God as
it behoves you to strive for it. He
22:75 Al-Hajj 256
has chosen you and laid on
you no burden in the matter
of your religion, the faith of
Abraham your forefather. In
this, as in former scriptures
He has given you the name
of Muslims, so that the
Messenger may be a witness
over you, and so that you may be
witnesses over mankind.
Therefore, say your prayers
regularly and pay the zakat and
hold fast to God. He is your
master. An excellent master and
an excellent helper!
2 3 . T H E B E L I E V E R S (A L - M U ’ M I N U N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Successful indeed are the
believers; 2 those who are humble
in their prayer; 3 those who turn
away from all that is frivolous;4 those who pay the zakat; 5 those
who safeguard their chastity6 except with their wives, and
what their right hands possess—
for then they are free from blame,7 but those who seek to go beyond
that are transgressors—8 those
who are faithful to their trusts
and promises; 9 and those who
attend to their prayers; 10 these
are the heirs of Paradise 11 they
shall abide in it forever.12 We created man from an
essence of clay, 13 then We placed
him as a drop of fluid in a safe
place, 14 then We developed that
drop into a clinging form, and
We developed that form into a
lump of flesh, and We developed
that lump into bones, and clothed
the bones with flesh. Then We
brought him into being as a new
creation—glory be to God, the
best of creators—15 after this you
shall surely die. 16 Then you will
be raised up again on the
Resurrection Day.17 We have created seven paths
above you; We have never been
unmindful of Our creation. 18 We
sent down water from the sky in
due measure and lodged it in the
earth—but if We please, We have
the power to take it away—19 We
have produced palm-groves and
vineyards for you, in which there
are abundant fruits for you; and
you eat these, 20 also a tree
growing on Mount Sinai which
produces oil and a condiment for
those who eat it. 21 You have a
lesson in livestock. We provide
you with drink from what is in
their bellies, and you have many
other benefits from them; some
of them you eat, 22 and you ride
on them as you do in ships.
23 We sent Noah to his people,
and he said, ‘My people, worship
God; you have no other deity
except Him. Will you not fear
Him?’ 24 The leaders of his
people who denied the truth,
said, ‘He is only a human being
like yourselves who wants to
make himself superior to you. If
God had wished, He would have
sent down angels. We never heard
about this from our forefathers.25 He is only a madman, so, as
far as he is concerned wait for a
while.’26 Noah said, ‘My Lord, help
me! for they have rejected me,’27 then We revealed Our will to
him: ‘Build the Ark under
Our watchful eye according to
Our instructions. When Our
command comes, and waters
gush up out of the earth, take on
board pairs of every species and
members of your household,
except for any of them on whom
sentence has already been
passed—do not plead with Me
for those who have done wrong:
they shall be drowned.28 When you and all your
257 The Believers 23:28
followers have settled in the
Ark, say, “Praise be to God who
has delivered us from a wicked
people,” 29 and say, “My Lord,
let me land with Your blessing in
a blessed landing place. You
alone can provide the best
landings”.’ 30 Surely there are
clear signs in that. In this way
We put people to the test.31 Then We raised another
generation after them, 32 and sent
a messenger to them from among
themselves: ‘Worship God alone.
You have no deity other than
Him. Will you not then fear
God?’ 33 But the leaders of his
people who denied the truth and
denied the Meeting in the
Hereafter, because We had
granted them ease and plenty in
their worldly life, said, ‘This is
only a human being like
yourselves—he eats what you
eat, and drinks what you drink—34 if you obey a human being just
like yourselves, then you will
surely be lost.35 Does he promise you that
when you die and have become
dust and bones, that you will be
23:29 Al-Mu’minun 258
brought forth again? 36 What you
are promised is indeed far-
fetched. 37 There exists only our
present life: we die and we live
[but once], and shall never be
raised up again. 38 He is only a
man who has invented a lie
about God, and we are not going
to believe him!’39 The messenger said, ‘My
Lord, help me, for they have
rejected me.’ 40 God said, ‘Before
long they will be filled with
regret.’ 41 The blast justly struck
them and We reduced them to
rubble. Away with such wicked
people!42 Then We raised up other
generations after them—43 no
community can advance or
postpone its appointed time—44 then We sent Our messengers
in succession. Every time their
messenger came to a people,
they rejected him. So We
destroyed them one after the
other, and let them become mere
tales. So away with the people
who will not believe!45 Then We sent Moses and his
brother Aaron with Our signs
and clear authority 46 to Pharaoh
and his courtiers, but they
behaved insolently, for they were
an arrogant people. 47 They said,
‘Are we to believe in two human
beings like ourselves, while their
people are subject to us?’ 48 So
they rejected them both, and
became those who were
destroyed. 49 We gave Moses the
Book so that they might be guided.50 We made the son of Mary
and his mother a sign and gave
them shelter on a peaceful
hillside watered by a fresh spring.51 Messengers, eat what is
wholesome and do good deeds:
I am well aware of what you do.52 Your religion is but one
religion—and I am your only Lord,
therefore, fear Me.53 Yet they divided themselves
into factions, each rejoicing in
what they had. 54 So leave them
in their bewilderment for a while.55 Do they imagine that the wealth
and children We have provided56 have no other purpose except
to help them in acquiring material
benefits? No indeed. But they do
not understand.
259 The Believers 23:68
57 Those who tremble with fear
of their Lord; 58 and believe in
His messages 59 and do not
ascribe partners to Him; 60 and
those who give to others what
has been bestowed upon them
with their hearts trembling at the
thought that they must return to
their Lord; 61 it is they who vie
with one another in doing good
works and shall be the foremost
in doing so. 62 We charge no soul
with more than it can bear. We
have a record which clearly
shows the truth and they will not
be wronged.63 But their hearts are heedless
of this. Moreover, there are other
deeds besides this which they
do. 64 But then when We seize
the affluent among them, they
will cry out for help. 65 Do not
cry out for help this day, for
surely you shall not be helped by
Us. 66 My revelations were recited
to you, but you turned your backs67 in arrogance, as if you were
abandoning a story-teller.68 Have they not pondered over
the word of God? Has something
come to them that did not come
to their forefathers? 69 Or do
they not recognize their
Messenger, and so deny him?70 Do they say he is possessed?
Rather he has brought them the
truth, but most of them are averse
to the truth. 71 If truth had
followed their whims and desires,
heavens and earth and all that
lives in them would have been
brought to ruin. Rather We have
brought them their Reminder.
Yet they keep avoiding their
Reminder.72 Or are you asking them for
any reward? But the reward of
your Lord is the best, for He is
the Best of Providers, 73 and,
most surely, you are calling them
to a straight path. 74 But those
who do not believe in the
Hereafter have indeed deviated
from that path.75 Even if We showed them
mercy and relieved them of their
afflictions, they would still
persist in their transgression,
wandering blindly. 76 We seized
them with the punishment, but
they did not surrender to their
Lord, nor will they humble
23:69 Al-Mu’minun 260
themselves 77 until We open
before them a gate of harsh
punishment and then they will
be dumbfounded.78 It is He who gave you ears,
eyes and hearts, yet how seldom
you are grateful!a 79 He it is who
has multiplied you on the earth
and to Him you shall all be
gathered: 80 He is the One who
gives life and causes death and
He controls the alternation of
night and day. Will you not then
understand?
a In this universe the human being
is a special creation who has been
given the exceptional powers of
hearing, seeing and thinking. These
capacities have been given to man for
a special purpose, namely, to
understand the reality of life. He should
use his ears to hear the voice of Truth.
With his eyes he should see the signs
of God that are spread all around him.
He should use his thinking powers for
an in-depth study of all these things.
This, in reality, is the way of
thankfulness of the ears, the eyes and
the heart. Those who do not give
evidence of such thankfulness in this
world risk losing their entitlement to
these gifts forever.
81 But they say the same as the
ancients said, 82 ‘When we have
died and become dust and bones,
will we be raised up again?83 We and our forefathers were
promised this before. This is
nothing but fables of the
ancients.’84 Say, ‘To whom do the earth
and all therein belong? Tell me,
if you have any knowledge?’85 They will say, ‘To God.’ Say,
‘So will you not pay heed? 86 Say,
‘Who is the Lord of the seven
heavens, and of the Glorious
Throne?’ 87 They will say, ‘They
belong to God.’ Say, ‘So do you
not fear Him?’ 88 Say, ‘In whose
hands lies sovereignty over all
things, protecting all, while none
can seek protection against Him?
Tell me, if you have any
knowledge.’ 89 They will say, ‘All
this belongs to God.’ Say to them,
‘How are you then deluded?’90 We have revealed to them
the truth. But they are certainly
liars. 91 God has not taken to
Himself a son, nor is there
any other deity besides Him;
otherwise, each god would have
261 The Believers 23:100
walked away with what he had
created. They would surely have
tried to overcome one another.
Glory be to God, above all that
they ascribe to Him. 92 Knower
of the unseen and the visible; He
is exalted above all that which
they associate with Him.93 Pray, ‘Lord, if you would
show me that [the punishment]
of which they have been warned,94 then do not place me, Lord,
with the wrongdoers.’ 95 We
certainly have the power to show
you what they have been warned
about.96 Repel evil with what is
best—We are well aware of the
things they say—97 and say, ‘My
Lord, I seek refuge with You
from the prompting of the devils.98 I seek refuge with You, Lord,
lest they should come near me.’99 When death comes to any of
them, he says, ‘My Lord, send
me back 100 so that I may do
good works in the world I have
left behind.’ Never! It is indeed
but a meaningless word that he
utters. A barrier shall stand
behind such people till the Day
they are raised up again. 101 When
the trumpet is blown, on that
Day there will be no ties of
relationship between them;
neither will they ask about one
another: 102 then those whose
scales weigh heavy with good
works will be successful. 103 But
those whose scales weigh light
will have ruined their souls; in
Hell will they abide. 104 The Fire
will scorch their faces and they
will abide therein with their faces
distorted.105 Were not My messages
recited to you and did you not
reject them? 106 They will answer,
‘Lord, misfortune overcame us
and we became an erring people.107 Lord, deliver us from Hell.
Then, if we revert again, we
shall definitely be wrongdoers.’108 God will say, ‘Stay there and
do not speak to Me. 109 Among
My servants, there were those
who said, “Lord, We believe, so
forgive us and have mercy on us.
You are the best one to show
mercy.” 110 But you made a
laughing stock of them to the
23:101 Al-Mu’minun 262
point where it made you forget
My remembrance; and you went
on laughing at them. 111 I have
rewarded them this Day for their
steadfastness, and it is they who
have triumphed.’112 He will ask, ‘How many
years did you stay on earth?’113 They will say, ‘We stayed a
day or part of a day. Ask those
who have kept count.’ 114 He
will say, ‘You only stayed for a
little while, if only you knew.115 ‘Do you imagine that We
created you without any purpose
and that you would not be
brought back to Us?’ 116 Then,
exalted be God, the true King,
there is no deity except Him, the
Lord of the Glorious Throne.117 He, who invokes another
deity along with God—a deity
of whose divinity he has no
proof—will be brought to
account by his Lord. Certainly,
those who deny the truth shall
never prosper. 118 Say, ‘Lord,
forgive us and have mercy.
You are the best of those who
show mercy.’
(263)
2 4 . L I G H T ( A L - N U R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 This is a chapter which We
have revealed and which We
have made obligatory; We have
sent down clear revelations in it,
so that you may take heed. 2 Flog
the adulteress and the adulterer,
each one of them, with a hundred
lashes. Let no pity for them
cause you to disobey God, if you
truly believe in God and the Last
Day; and let their punishment be
witnessed by a number of
believers. 3 The adulterer shall
marry only an adulteress or a
polytheist woman, and an
adulteress shall marry only an
adulterer or a polytheist man;
such marriages are forbidden for
believers.4 Those who defame chaste
women, but cannot produce
four witnesses, shall be
given eighty lashes. Do not
accept their testimony ever
after, for they are transgressors,5 save those who afterwards
repent and make amends,
for truly God is forgiving
and merciful.6 One who accuses his wife
and has no witnesses except
himself shall swear four times
by God that his charge is true,7 and the fifth time, that God’s
curse may be upon him if he is
telling a lie. 8 The wife shall
receive no punishment, if she
bears witness four times in the
name of God that her husband
has lied 9 and, a fifth time that
God’s wrath will be upon her if
he is telling the truth. 10 Were it
not for God’s grace and His
mercy upon you, [you would
have come to grief] and God is
wise, acceptor of repentance.11 Those who brought up
that slander were a band from
among you. Do not regard it
as a misfortune, for it is
good for you. Every one of
them shall be held to account
for the sin he has committed;
and he who took the greater part
in it shall have a terrible
punishment.12 When you heard of it, why
did not the believing men and
believing women think well of
their own people, and say, ‘This
is a manifest slander?’ 13 Why
did they not produce four
witnesses? If they could not
produce any witnesses, they were
indeed liars in the sight of God!14 Had it not been for the grace
of God and His mercy on you in
this world and the Hereafter, a
terrible punishment would have
afflicted you for your plunging
headlong into slander. 15 When
you were spreading it with your
tongues and saying with your
mouths things of which you had
no knowledge, you considered it
to be a trivial matter, but, in
God’s sight, it was very serious.16 When you heard it, why did
you not say, ‘It is not right for us
to speak of this. God forbid!
This is a monstrous slander.’17 God warns you never to
repeat the like of it again, if you
are true believers. 18 God
explains the commandments
to you. God is all knowing
and wise.19 Those who desire that
indecencies should spread among
the believers, will have a painful
chastisement in this world and
the Hereafter. God knows, and
you do not know. 20 But for the
grace of God and His mercy
upon you, and were not God
compassionate and merciful,
[you would have come to grief].21 O you who believe, do not
follow in the footsteps of Satan,
and whoever follows in the
footsteps of Satan should know
that he enjoins only indecency
and evil. But for the grace of
God and His mercy upon you,
not one of you would ever be
purified; but God purifies whom
He pleases. God is all hearing
and all knowing.22 Let not those who are
possessed of means and plenty
among you resolve to withhold
their bounty from their kindred
and the needy and those who
have migrated from their homes
in the cause of God. Let them
forgive and overlook. Do you
24:12 Al-Nur 264
not wish God to forgive you?
God is forgiving and merciful.23 Truly, those who accuse
chaste, unwary, believing women
are cursed in this world and the
Hereafter. For them awaits a
terrible chastisement. 24 On the
Day when their own tongues,
hands and feet shall bear witness
against them about what they
did—25 on that Day God will
justly requite them—and they
will realize that God is the truth,
that makes all things manifest.26 Corrupt women are for
corrupt men, and corrupt men
are for corrupt women; good
women are for good men and
good men are for good women.
The latter are absolved from
anything they may say;
forgiveness and an honourable
provision await them.27 Believers, do not enter other
people’s houses until you have
asked their owners’ permission
and greeted them. That will be
the better for you, so that you
may be heedful. 28 If you find no
one at home, do not go in until
permission has been granted you.
265 Light 24:31
If you are told to go away, then
go away. That is more proper for
you. God knows well what you
do. 29 There is nothing wrong in
your entering uninhabited houses
if that serves a useful purpose:
God knows all that you do openly,
and all that you would conceal.30 Tell believing men to lower
their gaze and remain chaste.
That is purer for them. God is
aware of what they do.31 Say to believing women that
they should lower their gaze and
remain chaste and not to reveal
their adornments—save what is
normally apparent thereof, and
they should fold their shawls
over their bosoms. They can
only reveal their adornments to
their husbands or their fathers or
their husbands’ fathers, or their
sons or their husbands’ sons or
their brothers or their brothers’
sons or their sisters’ sons or
maidservants or those whom their
right hands possess or their male
attendants who have no sexual
desire or children who still have
no carnal knowledge of women.
Nor should they swing their legs
24:32 Al-Nur 266
to draw attention to their hidden
ornaments. Believers, turn to
God, every one of you, so that
you may prosper.32 Marry those among you who
are single, and those of your
male and female slaves who are
fit [for marriage]. If they are
poor, God will provide for them
from His bounty, for God’s
bounty is infinite and He is all
knowing. 33 Those who do not
have the means to marry should
keep themselves chaste until God
grants them enough out of His
bounty. If any of your slaves
desire a deed of freedom, write it
out for them, if you find any
promise in them, and give them
some of the wealth God has
given you. Do not force your
[slave] maids into prostitution,
in order to enrich yourself, when
they wish to preserve their
chastity. Yet if anyone forces
them, once they have been
forced, God will be forgiving
and merciful to them. 34 We have
sent down clear revelations to
you and the example of those
who passed away before you and
an admonition for the God-
fearing.35 God is the light of the
heavens and the earth. His light
may be compared to a niche
containing a lamp, the lamp
inside a crystal of star-like
brilliance lit from a blessed olive
tree, neither of the east nor of the
west.a The [luminous] oil is as if
ready to burn without even the
fire touching it. Light upon light;
God guides to His light whom
He will. God draws such
comparisons for mankind; God
has full knowledge of everything.36 [They worship] in the
houses which God has allowed
to be raised for the remembrance
of His name, morning and
evening, 37 people who are
not distracted by trade
or commerce from the
a This is a metaphor with many
layers of meaning. ‘Light’ symbolizes
the guidance of God Almighty. ‘Niche’
is man’s heart and ‘lamp’ is faith
(iman), sheltered in that niche. The
image is elaborated by yet two more
points of reference: ‘crystal of star-
like brilliance’ and ‘luminous oil’.
remembrance of God and the
observance of prayer and the
payment of the zakat—fearing a
Day when hearts and eyes will
be convulsed, 38 so that God may
reward them according to the
best of their deeds and give them
more out of His bounty. God
provides for whoever He wills
without measure.39 As for those who deny the
truth, their works are like a
mirage in a desert. The thirsty
traveller thinks it to be water, but
when he comes near, he finds it
to be nothing. He finds God
there, who pays him his account
in full. God is swift in His
reckoning. 40 Or like darkness
on a deep ocean covered by
waves billowing over waves and
overcast with clouds: darkness
upon darkness. If he stretches
out his hand, he can scarcely see
it. Indeed, the man from whom
God withholds His light shall
find no light at all.41 [Prophet], do you not see
that all those who are in the
heavens and on earth praise God,
as do the birds with wings
267 Light 24:46
outstretched? Each knows his own
mode of prayer and glorification:
God has full knowledge of all
that they do. 42 To God belongs
the kingdom of the heavens and
the earth, and to God shall all
things return.43 Do you not see how God
drives the clouds, then joins them
together, then piles them into
layers and then you see the rain
pour from their midst? He
sends down from the skies
mountainous masses [of clouds]
charged with hail, and He makes
it fall on whom He will, and
turns it away from whom He
pleases. The flash of His
lightning may well-nigh take
away the sight. 44 God alternates
the night and the day—truly, in
this there is a lesson for men of
insight.45 God created every creature
from water. Some crawl upon
their bellies, others walk on two
legs, and others walk on four.
God creates what He pleases. He
has power over all things. 46 We
have sent down revelations
clearly showing the truth. God
guides whom He wills to the
straight path.47 They say, ‘We believe in
God and in the Messenger, and
we obey.’ But then, even after
that a group of them will turn
away. Those are surely not
believers 48 and when they are
called to God and His Messenger
so that he may judge between
them, some of them turn away.49 But if the truth happens to be
to their liking, they are quite
willing to accept it! 50 Is there a
sickness in their hearts, or are
they full of doubt? Or do they
fear that God and His Messenger
will be unjust to them? The truth is
that they themselves are wrongdoers.51 The response of the
believers, when they are called
to God and His Messenger in
order that he may judge between
them, is only, ‘We hear and we
obey.’ It is they who will prosper:52 those who obey God and His
Messenger, and fear God, and
are mindful of their duty to Him,
are the ones who will triumph.53 They swear firm oaths by
God that if you command them
24:47 Al-Nur 268
to march forth, they will obey
you. Say, ‘Do not swear: your
obedience, not your oaths, will
count. God is well aware of all
your actions.’ 54 Obey God and
obey the Messenger. If you turn
away, then he is responsible for
what he is charged with and you
are responsible for what you are
charged with. If you obey him,
you will be rightly guided. The
Messenger is responsible only for
delivering the message clearly.55 God has promised to those
among you who believe and do
good works that He will surely
grant them power in the land as
He granted to those who were
before them; and that He will
surely establish for them their
religion which He has chosen
for them. He will cause their
state of fear to be replaced by a
sense of security. Let them
worship Me and associate no
other with Me. Whoever still
chooses to deny the truth is truly
rebellious.56 Attend to your prayers and
pay the zakat and obey the
Messenger, so that you may be
shown mercy. 57 Do not think
that those who deny the truth can
frustrate Our plan on earth; their
abode shall be Hell; and it is
indeed an evil resort.58 Believers, let [even] those
whom you rightfully possess,
and those who are under age ask
your leave on three occasions
when they come in to see you:
before the morning prayer, when
you have taken off your garments
in the heat of noon, and after the
evening prayer. These are the
three occasions for your privacy.
At other times, there is nothing
blameworthy if you or they go
around visiting one another. Thus
God makes clear to you His
revelations: God is all knowing
and wise. 59 When your children
have reached the age of puberty,
let them still ask permission as their
elders do. Thus God expounds to
you His revelations: God is all
knowing and wise. 60 There is no
blame on elderly women who
are past the age of marriage, if
they take off their outer clothing,
without revealing their adornments.
But it would be better for them
269 Light 24:62
to guard themselves. God is all
hearing, all knowing.61 There is no harm if the blind,
the lame, the sick or you
yourselves eat in your own
houses, or in the houses of your
fathers, or mothers, or brothers,
or sisters, or paternal uncles, or
paternal aunts, or maternal
uncles, or maternal aunts, or in
those that you are in charge of or
in the house of a friend. There is
no objection to your eating
together or separately. But when
you enter houses, salute one
another with a greeting of peace,
a greeting from your Lord full of
blessings and purity. Thus does
God expound to you His
commandments, so that you may
understand.62 They only are true believers
who believe in God and His
Messenger. When they are with
him on some matter of common
concern, they should not depart
until they have asked him for
permission to do so. Those who
ask you for such permission are
the ones who truly believe in
God and His Messenger. When
they ask you for permission to
attend to some affair of their
own, then grant it to whoever
you please and seek forgiveness
from God for them. God is
forgiving and merciful.63 Do not treat being called by
the Messenger like being called
by one another. God knows those
of you who slip away on some
pretext. Let those who go against
24:63 Al-Nur 270
his order beware lest some
affliction befall them or they
receive a painful punishment.64 Surely, whatever is in the
heavens and on the earth belongs
to God. God knows well what
condition you are in. On the Day
when they return to Him, He will
declare to them all that they have
done. God has full knowledge of
all things.
2 5 . T H E C R I T E R I O N (A L - F U R Q A N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Blessed be He who has revealed
the criterion [the Quran] to His
servant that he may warn the
nations. 2 Sovereign of the
heavens and the earth, who has
begotten no children and who
has no partner in His sovereignty,
it is He who has created all
things and measured them out
precisely. 3 Yet they have taken,
besides Him, deities who create
nothing and are themselves
created, and who have no power
to harm, or benefit themselves
and who control neither death,
nor life, nor resurrection.4 Those who deny the truth
say, ‘This is only a forgery of his
own invention in which others
have helped him.’ What they say
is unjust and false. 5 They say, ‘It
is just fables of the ancients,
which he has had written down.
They are dictated to him morning
and evening.’ 6 Say to them, ‘It
has been revealed by Him who
knows every secret that is in the
heavens and on the earth. Truly,
271 The Criterion 25:19
He is most forgiving and most
merciful.’7 They say, ‘What kind of a
messenger is this who eats food
and walks about in the market-
places? Why has no angel been
sent down with him to warn us?’8 Or a treasure should have been
sent down to him, or he should
have had a garden from which to
eat.’ The wrongdoers say, ‘You
are surely following a man who
is bewitched.’ 9 Observe what
kind of things they attribute to
you. They have surely gone astray
and cannot find the right way
again.10 Blessed is He who, if He
please, can give you better things
than that; gardens watered by
flowing streams, and palaces too.11 They deny the Hour. For those
who deny that Hour, We have
prepared a blazing fire. 12 When
it sees them from afar, they will
hear its raging and roaring.13 When they are thrown into a
narrow space, chained together,
they will plead for death. 14 But
they will be told, ‘Do not call
today for one death, call for
many deaths!’ 15 Say, ‘Which is
better, this or the Paradise of
immortality which the righteous
have been promised? It is
their recompense and their
destination.’ 16 Abiding there
forever, they shall find in it all
that they desire. This is a binding
promise which your Lord has
made.17 On the Day He gathers them
all together with those they
worship besides Him, He will
say, ‘Was it you who misled My
servants, or did they stray away
by themselves?’ 18 They will
answer, ‘Hallowed be You! It
was not proper for us to choose
any guardian other than You.
But You gave them and their
fathers the comforts of this life,
so that they forgot Your reminder
and thus brought destruction
upon themselves.’ 19 [God will
say], ‘Now, they have given the
lie to all your assertions, and you
can neither ward off [your
punishment] nor obtain any help.’
For, whoever of you has
committed evil, shall be caused
by Us to taste great suffering!’
20 We never sent any
messengers before you who did
not eat food and walk in the
market-place. We make some of
you a means of trial for others, to
see whether you are steadfast.
Your Lord is all seeing.21 Those who do not expect a
meeting with Us say, ‘Why are
angels not sent down to us?’ Or
‘Why do we not see our Lord?’
Surely, they are too proud of
themselves and have greatly
exceeded all bounds. 22 There
will be no good tidings for the
guilty on the day they see the
angels; and they will cry out,
‘Keep away, keep away!’ 23 and
We shall take all that they did
and turn it into scattered dust.24 The inhabitants of the Garden
will have the best residence and
the finest lodging on that Day.25 On a Day when the sky will
split open with its clouds and the
angels are sent down rank upon
rank, 26 true sovereignty on that
Day will belong to the Gracious
One, and it will be a hard Day for
those who deny the truth. 27 On
that Day, the wrongdoer will bite
his hands and say, ‘Would that I
had walked in the Messenger’s
path! 28 Oh, would that I had
never chosen such a one for my
companion—29 he made me
forgetful of the warning after it
had reached me. Satan is man’s
great betrayer.’ 30 The Messenger
will say, ‘Lord, my people did
indeed discard the Quran,’ 31 thus
did We assign to every prophet
an enemy from among the
sinners; your Lord is sufficient
as a guide and a helper.32 Those who deny the truth
say, ‘Why was the Quran not
sent down to him in a single
revelation?’ We sent it in this
manner, so that We might
strengthen your heart. We gave it to
you in gradual revelation. 33 Every
time they raise an objection, We
will bring you the truth and the
best of explanations. 34 Those
who will be dragged headlong
into Hell shall have an evil place
to dwell in, for they have strayed
far from the right path.35 We gave Moses the Book,
and appointed his brother Aaron
as his supporter. 36 Then We said,
25:20 Al-Furqan 272
‘Go together to the people who
have denied Our signs.’ We
utterly destroyed them! 37 We
drowned the people of Noah
also when they rejected their
messengers and We made them
an example to all mankind. We
have prepared a painful
punishment for the wrongdoers,38 to ‘Ad, and Thamud, and the
people of al-Rass, and as We did
for the many a generation
between them. 39 To each of them
We gave warnings and each of
them We destroyed completely.40 Indeed they must have come
upon the town on which an evil
rain had poured down. Did they
not see it? Yet they have no faith
in the Resurrection.41 Whenever they see you they
only make a mockery of you—
‘Is this the one God has sent as
His Messenger? 42 Indeed, he
would well-nigh have led us
astray from our deities, had we
not been [so] steadfastly attached
to them!’ When they behold the
punishment, they shall realize
who strayed furthest from the
right path.
43 Have you seen him who has
taken his own desire to be his
god? Can you be a guardian over
him? 44 Do you think most of
them can hear or understand?
They are like cattle. Indeed, they
are even more astray.45 Have you not seen how your
Lord lengthens the shadows?
Had He pleased, He could have
made them constant; then We
placed the sun as an indicator for
them, 46 then We withdrew it to
Us, a gradual withdrawal. 47 It is
He who made the night a mantle
for you, and sleep for repose;
and made the day a time for
rising.a 48 It is He who sends the
winds as heralds of His mercy
and We send down pure water
from the sky, 49 so that We
may bring life to a dead land;
and slake the thirst of Our
273 The Criterion 25:49
a There are many lessons in this
system of the earth. As the light of day
necessarily follows the darkness of
night, so also is it necessary that
untruth be followed by Truth. While
waking up in the morning after
sleeping at night symbolizes
resurrection in the life after death.
creation; cattle and men, in
great numbers.50 We have explained it to them
in diverse ways, so that they may
take heed, but most persist in their
ingratitude. 51 If We had so wished,
We might have sent a warner into
every town, 52 so do not yield to
those who deny the truth, but strive
with the utmost strenuousness
by means of this [Quran, to
convey its message to them].53 It is He who released the
two bodies of flowing water, one
sweet and fresh and the other
salty and bitter, and set up an
insurmountable barrier between
them. 54 It is He who has created
human beings from water and
He has granted them the ties of
blood as well as marriage. Your
Lord is all powerful.55 Yet they worship besides
God that which can neither
benefit them nor harm them.
One who denies the truth is
a helper [of evil] against his
Lord. 56 We have sent you only
as a bearer of glad tidings and as
a warner. 57 Say, ‘I do not ask you
for any recompense for this except
that anyone who so wishes should
take the right path to his Lord.’58 Put your trust in the One
who is the Ever-Living [God],
who never dies, and glorify Him
with His praise. He is fully aware
of the sins of His servants; 59 it is
He who created the heavens and
the earth and all that is between
them in six Days [periods], then
settled Himself on the throne—
the Gracious One. Ask any
informed person about Him.a
60 When they are told, ‘Prostrate
yourselves before the Gracious
One,’ they ask, ‘Who is this
Gracious One? Shall we prostrate
ourselves before whatever you
will?’ This increases their aversion.61 Exalted is He who put
constellations in the heavens, a
radiant lamp and an illuminating
25:50 Al-Furqan 274
a Here ‘six Days’ means six Days of
God. In the language of human beings
it may be called six stages or six
periods. The Creation of the Universe
in six stages indicates that it was done
in a well planned manner. Whatever is
brought into existence on the basis of
a plan and a specific arrangement
cannot be futile.
moon—62 it is He who has made
night and day succeed each other,
a sign for those who would take
heed and would be grateful.63 The true servants of the
Gracious One are those who
walk upon the earth with humility
and when they are addressed by
the ignorant ones, their response
is, ‘Peace’; 64 and those who
spend the night prostrating
themselves, and standing before
their Lord, 65 who say, ‘Our Lord,
ward off from us the punishment
of Hell, for its punishment is a
dreadful torment to suffer.66 Indeed, it is an evil abode and
evil dwelling-place.’ 67 They are
those who are neither extravagant
nor niggardly, but keep a balance
between the two; 68 those who
never invoke any other deity
besides God, nor take a life
which God has made sacred,
except with the right to do so,
nor commit adultery. Anyone
who does that shall face
punishment: 69 he shall have his
suffering doubled on the Day of
Resurrection and he will abide
forever in disgrace, 70 except for
those who repent and believe
and do good deeds. God will
change the evil deeds of such
people into good ones: He is most
forgiving and most merciful.71 He who repents and does good
deeds has truly turned to God.72 And those who do not bear
false witness, and when they
pass by frivolity, they pass by
with dignity; 73 who do not turn
a blind eye and a deaf ear to the
signs of their Lord when they are
reminded of them; 74 who say,
‘Lord, grant us joy in our wives
and children and make us a
model for the righteous.’75 These are the ones who will
be rewarded with lofty mansions
in Paradise, for their steadfastness.
They will be received therein with
greetings of welcome and
salutations of peace. 76 There they
shall abide forever: a blessed
dwelling and a blessed resting
place. 77 Say, ‘What would my
Lord care for you, if you do not
call on Him. Because you have
indeed rejected the truth and
His punishment is bound to
overtake you.
275 The Criterion 25:77
2 6 . T H E P O E T S ( A L - S H U ‘ A R A’ )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Ta Sin Mim
2 These are the verses of the
Book that makes things clear. 3 It
may be that you will destroy
yourself with grief because they
will not believe. 4 But if We had
so willed, We could have sent
down to them a sign from the
heavens so that their heads would
be bowed down before it in utter
humility. 5 Whenever there
comes to them any fresh warning
from the Merciful, they always
turn their backs on it: 6 they have
indeed rejected the message. But
the truth of what they laughed to
scorn will dawn upon them
before long.7 Do they not see the earth, and
what beneficial kinds of things
We have caused to grow in it?8 Surely in this there is a sign, yet
most of them would not believe:9 truly, your Lord is the Mighty
One, the Merciful.10 When your Lord called out
to Moses, saying, ‘Go to the
wrongdoing people, 11 the people
of Pharaoh, will they not fear
God?’ 12 Moses replied, ‘My
Lord, I fear they will reject me,13 and my breast is straitened and
my tongue is not fluent; so send
Aaron as well; 14 besides, they
accuse me of a crime, and I fear
that they may put me to death.’15 God said, ‘Indeed not; go
both of you with Our signs, We
shall be with you, listening [to
your call]. 16 Go to Pharaoh, both
of you, and say, “We are
messengers from the Lord of the
Worlds: 17 let the Children of
Israel go with us!”’ 18 Pharaoh
said to Moses, ‘Did we not bring
you up among us as a child? And
you spent several years of your
life with us. 19 Yet you committed
the deed you did, surely you are
one of the ingrates.’20 Moses replied, ‘I did that
when I was one of the misguided,
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21 and I fled from you because I
feared you. Then my Lord
granted me wisdom and made
me one of the messengers.22 And this is the favour with
which you taunt me—that you
have enslaved the Children of
Israel?’ 23 Pharaoh said, ‘What is
this: Lord of the Universe?’24 Moses said, ‘Lord of the
heavens and the earth and all
that is between them, if only you
would be convinced.’ 25 Pharaoh
said to those around him, ‘Did
you hear?’ 26 Moses went on,
‘He is your Lord and the Lord of
your forefathers.’ 27 Pharaoh said,
‘This messenger who has been
sent to you is surely possessed!’28 Moses said, ‘He is the Lord of
the East and the West, and all
that lies between them, if
only you could understand.’29 Pharaoh said, ‘If you take any
deity other than myself, I will
throw you into prison,’ 30 and
Moses asked, ‘Even if I show
you a clear sign?’ 31 Pharaoh
said, ‘Show it then, if you are
telling the truth!’ 32 So Moses
threw down his staff and
suddenly it appeared as a serpent,
plainly visible. 33 And he drew
out his hand, and it appeared
[shining] white to the beholders.34 Pharaoh said to the chiefs
around him, ‘Surely this man is
a skilful sorcerer. 35 Who wants
to drive you out of your land by
his sorcery. Now what do you
advise?’36 They said, ‘Let him and his
brother wait a while, and send
heralds into the cities, 37 who
shall bring to you every skilful
sorcerer.’ 38 So the sorcerers were
gathered on the appointed day39 and the people were told,
‘Will you also gather together,40 so that we may follow the
magicians, if they be the
winners.’ 41 When the magicians
came, they asked Pharaoh, ‘Shall
we have a reward, if we are
the winners?’ 42 He replied,
‘Certainly, in that case you will
join my inner circle.’43 Moses said to the magicians,
‘Throw down whatever you are
going to throw.’ 44 So they cast
down their ropes and staffs, and
said, ‘By Pharaoh’s honour, we
277 The Poets 26:44
shall surely win.’ 45 Then Moses
threw down his staff, and it
swallowed up all that they had
conjured into being. 46 The
magicians fell down prostrate,47 saying, ‘We believe in the Lord
of the Worlds, 48 the Lord of
Moses and Aaron.’49 Pharaoh said, ‘Have you
come to believe in him, before I
have given you permission? He
is surely your master who has
taught you magic. But you shall
see. I will cut off your hands and
feet on alternate sides and crucify
you all.’ 50 They said, ‘There is
no harm. To our Lord we shall
return. 51We hope our Lord will
forgive us, as we are the first of
the believers.’52 Then We revealed Our will
to Moses, saying, ‘Set forth with
My servants, in the night, for
you will surely be pursued.’53 And Pharaoh sent forth heralds
to all the cities. 54 ‘These,’ they
said, ‘are only a small band—55 and they have enraged us—56 we are a large and watchful
force.’ 57 So We made them
leave their gardens and springs,
26:45 Al-Shu‘ara’ 278
58 their treasures and their noble
dwellings—59 and We made the
Children of Israel inheritors of
these bounties.60 Pharaoh and his people
pursued them at sunrise, 61 and
when the two groups saw each
other, Moses’ companions said,
‘We are sure to be overtaken.’62 Moses replied, ‘No, My Lord
is with me, and He will guide
me.’ 63 Then We bade Moses
strike the sea with his staff. And
it parted, and each part was
like a huge mountain.64 In the
meantime We made the others
approach that place. 65 We
delivered Moses and all those
who were with him, 66 then We
drowned the others. 67 Surely in
that there is a sign; yet most of
them do not believe: 68 truly,
your Lord is the Mighty One, the
Merciful.69 Tell them the story of
Abraham, 70 when he asked his
father and his people, ‘What is
that which you worship?’ 71 They
said, ‘We worship idols and will
continue to cling to them.’ 72 He
asked, ‘Do they hear you when
you call to them? 73 Do they help
or harm you?’ 74 They replied,
‘But we found our fathers doing
the same.’75 Abraham said, ‘Have you
really thought about what you
have been worshipping, 76 you
and your forefathers—77 they are
all my enemies, not so the Lord
of the Universe, 78 who created
me. It is He who guides me;79 He who gives me food and
drink; 80 He who cures me when
I am ill; 81 He who will cause me
to die and bring me back to life;82 and He who will, I hope,
forgive me my faults on the Day
of the Judgement.83 My Lord, bestow wisdom
upon me; unite me with the
righteous; 84 give me a good
name among later generations;85 and make me one of
the inheritors of the Garden of
Bliss; 86 and forgive my father;
for he is one of the misguided;87 and do not disgrace me on
the Day when all people are
resurrected, 88 the Day when
wealth and sons will be of no
avail, 89 and when he alone will
279 The Poets 26:106
be saved who comes to God with
a sound heart.’90 When Paradise shall be
brought near to the God-fearing91 and Hell shall be revealed to
the misguided, 92 they will be
asked, ‘Where are those whom
you worshipped 93 besides God?
Can they help you or even help
themselves?’ 94 Then they will
be thrown headlong into Hell,
both they and the misguided
ones, 95 and Satan’s legions, all
together. 96 They will dispute
between themselves therein, and
will say, 97 ‘We were clearly
misguided 98 when we made you
equal with the Lord of the
Universe. 99 It was the evildoers
who led us astray, 100 and we
have no intercessors now, 101 and
no sincere friend. 102 If we could
only return to the world and be
among the believers.’ 103 There
is certainly a sign in that, but
most of them would not believe:104 surely, your Lord is the Mighty
One, the Merciful.105 The people of Noah
also rejected the messengers.106 When their brother Noah said
to them, ‘Will you have no fear
of God? 107 I am a trustworthy
messenger for you: 108 fear God,
and obey me. 109 I ask of you no
recompense for it, for my only
reward is with the Lord of the
Universe, 110 so fear God and
obey me.’ 111 They replied, ‘Are
we to believe in you when your
followers are but the lowest of
the low?’ 112 He said, ‘What
knowledge do I have of their
doings? 113 My Lord alone can
bring them to account—if only
you could understand—114 I am
not going to drive away any
believers. 115 I am only a plain
warner.’116 They said, ‘Noah, if you do
not desist, you will be stoned.’117 Noah said, ‘My Lord, my
people have rejected me,118 therefore, judge decisively
between me and them; and save
me and the believers who are
with me.’ 119 So We saved him,
and those who were with him in
the laden ark, 120 and drowned
the rest. 121 There is certainly a
sign in that; but most of them do
not believe: 122 surely your Lord
26:107 Al-Shu‘ara’ 280
is the Mighty One, the Merciful.123 The people of ‘Ad, too,
rejected the messengers. 124 Their
brother Hud said to them, ‘Will
you not fear God? 125 I am a
trustworthy messenger for you:126 fear God, then, and obey me.127 I ask no recompense of you;
my reward is only with the Lord
of the Universe. 128 Do you build
monuments on every high place
in vanity, 129 and erect castles
hoping that you will live forever.130 When you lay hands upon
anyone, you do so as tyrants.131 So fear God, and obey me;132 fear Him who has aided you
with all that you know—133 He
has bestowed on you cattle, and
sons, 134 and gardens, and
springs—135 indeed, I fear for
you the torment of an awful
day.’136 They replied, ‘It makes no
difference to us whether you
preach or do not preach, 137 this
is nothing but a habit of the
ancients: 138 and we shall not be
punished.’ 139 So they rejected
him; and We destroyed them.
There is certainly a sign in that;
but most of them would not
believe. 140 Surely your Lord is
the Mighty One, the Merciful.141 The tribe of Thamud
also rejected the messengers.142 When their brother Salih said
to them, ‘Will you not fear God?143 Truly, I am a trustworthy
messenger for you, 144 so fear
God and obey me. 145 For this I
demand no recompense from
you; my reward is only with the
Lord of the Universe. 146 Do you
think that you will be left secure
[forever]—147 in the midst of
gardens and fountains, 148 and
cornfields, and palm-trees laden
with fruit—149 hewing out
houses in the mountains and
taking pride in your skill? 150 So
fear God and obey me: 151 do not
obey the bidding of those who
are given to excesses, 152 those
who spread corruption in the
land instead of putting things
right.’153 They replied, ‘Surely you
are bewitched. 154 You are only a
human being like ourselves.
Show us a sign, if you are telling
the truth.’ 155 He said, ‘Here is a
281 The Poets 26:168
she-camel. She shall have her
turn of drinking, as you have
yours, each on an appointed day,156 so do her no harm, or the
punishment of an awful day
will befall you.’ 157 Yet they
hamstrung her, and then they
became regretful: 158 so the
punishment came down upon
them. Surely in that there is a
sign, but most of them would not
believe. 159 Your Lord is the
Mighty One, the Merciful.160 Then the people of
Lot rejected the messengers.161 When their brother Lot said
to them, ‘Will you not fear God?162 I am a trustworthy messenger
to you: 163 so fear God and
obey me. 164 I ask of you no
recompense for this; my reward
is only with the Lord of the
Universe. 165 Do you, of all
people, approach males, 166 and
leave your wives whom your
Lord has created for you? You
are a people who transgress all
bounds.’167 They said, ‘If you do not
desist, Lot, you will surely be
banished.’ 168 He said, ‘I am one
of those who abhors your ways.169 My Lord, save me and my
family from their evil doings.’170 We saved him and all of his
family, 171 except for an old
woman who stayed behind,172 then We totally destroyed the
rest, 173 and We poured a rain [of
destruction] down upon them—
and how evil was the rain
which fell on those who were
forewarned. 174 Surely in this
there is a sign: but most of them
would not believe: 175 your Lord
is the Mighty One, the Merciful.176 The dwellers of the forest
also rejected the messengers.177 Shu‘ayb said to them, ‘Will
you not fear God? 178 I am a
trustworthy messenger to you:179 so fear God, and obey me.180 I ask of you no recompense
for this; my reward is only with
the Lord of the Universe. 181 Give
full measure, and cause no
loss to others. 182 Weigh
with correct scales: 183 do not
defraud people of what is
rightfully theirs; and do not
spread corruption in the land.184 Fear Him who created you
26:169 Al-Shu‘ara’ 282
and those who have gone
before you.’185 They replied, ‘You are
bewitched. 186 You are only a
human being like ourselves.
Indeed we think you are a liar.187 So cause a fragment of the
sky to fall on us, if you are
truthful.’ 188 He said, ‘My Lord
has full knowledge of all your
actions.’ 189 They rejected him,
and then had to suffer
the punishment of a day of
overshadowing gloom. That was
indeed the punishment of an
awful day. 190 Surely, in this is
indeed a sign; but most of them
would not believe: 191 your Lord
is the Mighty One, the Merciful.192 This surely is a revelation
from the Lord of the Universe:193 the Faithful Spirit has brought
it down 194 into your heart, so
that you may be a warner, 195 in
clear Arabic speech. 196 Surely, it
is foretold in the ancient
scriptures. 197 Is it not evidence
enough for them that the learned
among the Children of Israel
have recognized this [as true]?198 Had We revealed it to any
one of the non-Arabs, 199 and he
had recited it to them, they would
not have believed in it. 200 We
have thus caused denial of truth
to enter into the hearts of the
sinners: 201 they will not believe
in it until they see the grievous
punishment. 202 It will come upon
them suddenly when they are not
expecting it. 203 Then they will
exclaim, ‘Could we have some
respite?’204 Do they want to hasten Our
punishment? 205 Think! If We let
them enjoy life for some years,206 and then the promised
punishment fell upon them,207 of what avail would their
past enjoyment be to them?208 Never have We destroyed a
town without sending down
messengers to warn it, 209 as a
reminder from Us: We are never
unjust. 210 It was not the devils
who brought down the Quran:211 neither are they worthy of it,
nor are they capable of it,212 indeed they are debarred from
overhearing it.213 So do not call on any deity
besides God, lest you incur His
283 The Poets 26:227
punishment. 214 Warn your
nearest kinsmen, 215 and extend
kindness and affection to those
of the believers who follow you.216 If they disobey you, say, ‘I
bear no responsibility for what
you do.’ 217 Put your trust in the
Mighty One, the Merciful,218 who sees you when you stand
up [for prayer], 219 and sees your
movements among those who
prostrate themselves: 220 He is
the All Hearing, the All Knowing.221 Shall I tell you upon whom
the devils descend? 222 They
descend on every lying sinner,223 who lends an ear to them, and
most of them are liars. 224 And as
for the poets—it is the misled
who follow them. 225 Do you
not see how they wander
aimlessly in every valley,226 preaching what they do
not practice. 227 Not so the
true believers who do good
works and remember God
with fervour and defend
themselves only after they are
wronged. The wrongdoers will
soon know how evil a turn their
affairs will take.
2 7 . T H E A N T S ( A L - N A M L )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
(284)
1 Ta Sin
These are verses from the Quran,
a book that makes things clear;2 it is guidance and good news
for the believers 3 who pray
regularly and pay obligatory alms
and have firm faith in the
Hereafter. 4 We have made those
who do not believe in the
Hereafter feel their actions
appear good to them, so they
wander blindly: 5 they are the
ones who will have the worst of
punishment, and in the Hereafter
they will be the greatest losers.6 You have received this Quran
from One who is all-wise, all-
knowing.7 Tell of Moses who said to
his family, ‘I have seen a fire. I
will bring you news from there,
or a burning brand for you to
warm yourselves.’ 8 When he
came up to it, a voice called out,
‘Blessed be whoever is near this
fire, and whoever is around
it! Glory be to God, Lord of
the Universe!9 O Moses, I am God, the
Powerful, the Wise. 10 Throw
down your staff.’ But when he
saw it moving like a snake, he
turned and fled. ‘Moses, do not
be afraid! The messengers need
have no fear in My presence;11 as for those who do wrong and
then do good after evil, I am
most forgiving, most merciful.12 Now put your hand inside your
cloak next to your bosom and it
will come out [shining] white,
without any blemish. This will
be one of the nine signs for
Pharaoh and his people: for truly
they are a rebellious people.’13 But when Our signs came to
them in all their clarity they said,
‘This is clearly sorcery!’ 14 And
they persisted in rejecting them
wrongfully and arrogantly, while in
their hearts they were convinced
of their truth. Observe, then, how
evil was the fate of the evil-doers.
15 We bestowed knowledge on
David and Solomon and they
both said, ‘Praise be to God who
has exalted us above many
of His believing servants.’16 Solomon succeeded David. He
said, ‘Know, my people, that we
have been taught the speech of
birds and endowed with all good
things. Surely this is God’s
manifest grace.’17 Solomon’s hosts of jinn and
men and birds, were all gathered
together in his presence and were
ranged in battle order, 18 and
when they came to the Valley
of the Ants, one ant said,
‘Ants! Go into your dwellings,
in case Solomon and his
hosts inadvertently crush you.’19 Solomon smiled broadly at its
words and said, ‘Lord, inspire
me to be thankful for the
blessings You have granted me
and my parents, and to do good
deeds that please You; and
include me, by Your grace,
among Your righteous servants!’20 Then Solomon inspected the
birds, and said, ‘How is it that I
do not see the hoopoe? Is he
285 The Ants 27:28
absent then? 21 I shall surely
punish him severely or order
him to be executed, unless he
gives me a good reason for his
absence.’ 22 But he was not long
in coming, and said, ‘I have
learnt something you did not
know. I have come to you from
Sheba with reliable news. 23 I
found a woman ruling over them,
who has been given everything
and she has a mighty throne. 24 I
found her and her people
worshipping the sun, instead of
God. Satan has made their
conduct appear good to them,
and has thus diverted them from
the right path, so that they might
not be guided. 25 Should they not
worship God who brings forth
what is hidden in the heavens
and earth and knows both what
you conceal and what you make
known? 26 He is God: there is no
deity but He, the Lord of the
mighty throne.’27 Solomon said, ‘We shall
soon see whether you have
spoken the truth, or whether you
are a liar. 28 Go with this letter of
mine and lay it before them, then
withdraw from them and see
how they respond.’ 29 The Queen
of Sheba said, ‘O Counsellors,
an honourable letter has been
delivered to me. 30 It is from
Solomon. It reads, “In the name
of God, Most Gracious, Most
Merciful, 31 do not exalt
yourselves above me, but come
to me in all submission.” 32 Now
advise me in this, Counsellors. I
never decide any affair till I have
conferred with you.’ 33 They said,
‘We are strong and our prowess
in battle is great, but the decision
is in your hands, so consider
what you will command.’ 34 She
said, ‘Surely, when mighty kings
invade a country, they despoil it
and humiliate its noblest
inhabitants—these men will do
the same—35 but I shall send
them a present and see with what
reply my envoys will return.’36 So when [the envoy] came
to Solomon he said, ‘What! Are
you offering me wealth? But that
which God has given me is better
than that which He has given
you. Yet you rejoice in your gift.37 Go back to them: we shall
27:29 Al-Naml 286
most certainly come upon them
with forces which they will never
be able to withstand, and shall
most certainly cause them to be
driven from their lands, disgraced
and humbled!’38 Solomon then said, ‘O
Counsellors, which of you can
bring me her throne before they
come to me in submission? 39 A
demon from among the jinn said,
‘I will bring it to you before you
get up from your seat. I am
strong and trustworthy enough
to do it.’ 40 But one of them who
had some knowledge of the Book
said, ‘I will bring it to you in the
twinkling of an eye.’ When
Solomon saw it placed before
him, he exclaimed, ‘This is by
the grace of my Lord, to test
whether I am grateful or
ungrateful. Whosoever is
grateful, it is for the good of his
own self; and whosoever is
ungrateful, then surely my Lord
is self-sufficient and generous.’41 He said, ‘Disguise her
throne. We shall see whether or
not she will recognize it.’ 42 When
she came to Solomon, she was
asked, ‘Is your throne like this?’
She replied, ‘It looks as though
it were the same, and we had
been given knowledge [of your
power] before this, and we have
already submitted.’ 43 And that
which she used to worship beside
God had stopped her [from
believing]; for she came of a
disbelieving people. 44 Then she
was bidden to enter the palace;
but when she saw it, she thought
it was a deep pool of water, and
bared her legs. But Solomon
explained, ‘It is just a palace
paved with glass,’ and she said,
‘My Lord, I have wronged
myself: now I submit myself
along with Solomon, to God, the
Lord of the Universe.’45 To Thamud We sent their
brother Salih. He said, ‘Serve
none but God.’ But they divided
themselves into two factions
contending with one another.46 He urged them, ‘O my people,
why do you wish to hasten on the
evil rather than the good? Why
do you not ask forgiveness of
God, so that you may be shown
mercy?’ 47 They said, ‘We see
287 The Ants 27:54
you and your followers as an evil
omen.’ He replied, ‘No, your
evil omen is with God; the truth
is that you are a people being put
to the test.’48 There were in the city nine
men who spread corruption in
the land, and would not reform.49 They said, ‘Let us bind
ourselves by an oath sworn in
the name of God that we shall
attack Salih and his family by
night, and to his protector [who
demands retribution], we shall
say, ‘We were not present when
they were slain. We are telling
the truth.’ 50 Thus they devised a
plan, and We also devised a
plan, but they were not aware
of it. 51 See, then, what the
consequences of their plan were.
We destroyed them and their
people utterly, all together.52 Because of their wrongdoing,
their houses are in ruins—in that
surely there is a sign for people
who have knowledge—53 and We
saved those who believed in and
feared God.54 And tell of Lot. He said to
his people, ‘Will you commit
evil knowingly? 55 Must you go
lustfully to men instead of
women? Indeed, you are a people
who are deeply ignorant.’ 56 The
only answer of his people was,
‘Drive out Lot and his family
from the city. They are a people
who make themselves out to be
pure.’ 57 So We delivered him
and his family—except his wife:
We ordained her to be one of
those who stayed behind— 58 and
We pelted them with torrential
rain. How dreadful that rain was
for those who had been warned!59 Say, ‘All praise be to God, and
peace be upon those servants of
His whom He has chosen. Is
God better, or what they associate
with Him?60 Who created the heavens
and the earth and sends down
water for you from the sky, by
which We make luxuriant
gardens grow—you could never
make such trees grow in them—
is it another deity besides God?
No indeed, but they are a people
who equate others with Him.61 Who is it that made the earth
a stable place to live in? Who
27:55 Al-Naml 288
made rivers flow through it?
Who set mountains upon it and
placed a barrier between the two
seas? Is there another deity
besides God? Indeed, most of
them have no knowledge.62 Who responds to the
oppressed when he calls out to
Him, and relieves his suffering
and who will make you inheritors
of the earth? Then, is there a god
besides God? How little you pay
heed! 63 Who guides you in the
darkness of the land and sea?
Who sends the breezes as heralds
of His mercy? Then, is there a
deity besides God? Exalted is
God above what they associate
with Him. 64 Who originates
creation, then regenerates it, and
who gives you sustenance from
heaven and earth? Then, is there
a deity besides God?’ Say, ‘Bring
forward your proofs, if you are
telling the truth.’65 Say, ‘No one in the heavens
and the earth has knowledge of
the unseen except God.’ They do
not know when they will be
raised up again. 66 Indeed, their
knowledge of the life to come
stops short of the truth: they are
[often] in doubt as to its reality:
in fact, they are blind to it.67 Those who deny the truth say,
‘When we have turned to dust
like our fathers, shall we be
brought back to life again? 68 We
and our fathers were promised
this before; these are but old
stories.’ 69 Say, ‘Roam across the
earth and observe what was the
end of the sinful ones.’70 Do not grieve over them,
nor feel distressed at their
schemes. 71 They ask, ‘When will
this promise be fulfilled, if what
you say be true?’ 72 Say, ‘It may
be that a part of what you would
hasten on is close behind you.’73 Truly, your Lord is bountiful
to mankind, but most of them are
not grateful. 74 The Lord knows
full well what they conceal in
their hearts and what they
disclose: 75 there is nothing
hidden in heaven and on earth,
but is recorded in a clear Book.76 This Quran explains to the
children of Israel much of what
they differ over, 77 certainly it is
guidance and a blessing for the
289 The Ants 27:82
believers. 78 Certainly your Lord
will decide between them in His
wisdom—He is the Almighty,
the All Knowing—79 so put your
trust in God. Surely you are on
the path of manifest truth. 80 You
cannot make the dead hear, nor
can you make the deaf hear your
call, when they turn their backs
on it, 81 nor can you guide the
blind out of their error. You can
make only those hear you who
believe in Our revelations and
surrender themselves to Us.82 When God’s word is justly
carried out against them, We will
produce a dabbaha from the earth
a At the time when Almighty God
takes the decision to bring to an end
the present history of the earth, some
extraordinary signs will appear to usher
in the last phase. Among these signs
will be the appearance of a dabbah.
The message, which was brought
through human beings and which was
not accepted by the people, will be
announced by dabbah. Modern
systems of communication are
probably what is alluded to here as
dabbah. This will be the bell
announcing the end of the examination
period and not its beginning.
which will tell them that mankind
had no real faith in Our signs.83 On that Day We shall assemble
together a host from every
community of those who cried
lies to Our revelations and they
will be grouped 84 then,
when they have arrived, He
will say, ‘Did you deny My
revelations, even though you did
not have proper knowledge of
them? Or what was it that you
were doing?’ 85 The verdict will
be given against them, because
they did wrong, and they will be
speechless. 86 Do they not see
that We have made the night for
them to rest in and the day to
give them light? There are
certainly signs in that for people
who believe.87 On the Day when the trumpet
is blown, whoever is in the
heavens and whoever is on the
earth will be struck with terror,
except for those whom God
wishes to spare. All shall come
to Him in utter humility. 88 You
see the mountains and think them
27:83 Al-Naml 290
firmly fixed. But they shall pass
away as the clouds pass away.
Such is the work of God, who
has ordered all things to
perfection: He is fully aware of
what you do. 89 Whoever does a
good deed, shall be rewarded
with what is better, and will be
secure from fear of that Day,90 and those who do evil will be
flung down on their faces in the
Fire. Are you not rewarded
according to your deeds?91 Say, ‘I am commanded to
serve the Lord of this town,
which He has made inviolable
and to whom everything
belongs; I am commanded to be
one of those devoted to Him;92 to recite the Quran.’ Whoever
follows its guidance, follows it
only for the good of his own
soul; and as for him who goes
astray, just say, ‘I am only a
warner.’ 93 Then say, ‘Praise be
to God! He will show you His
signs and you will recognize
them. Your Lord is not unaware
of what you do.’
2 8 . T H E S TORY ( A L - Q A S A S )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
(291)
1 Ta Sin Mim
2 These are verses from the Book
that makes things clear. 3 We
shall narrate to you some of the
story of Moses and Pharaoh,
with truth, for people who would
believe. 4 Pharaoh behaved
arrogantly in the land, and
divided the people into groups,
seeking to weaken one section,
slaying their sons and sparing
their daughters—he was one of
those who spread corruption—5 We wished to favour those
who were oppressed in the land,
and to make them leaders and
make them inheritors [of Our
bounties], 6 and to give them
power in the land; and to show
Pharaoh and Haman and their
hosts that very thing which they
feared.7 We inspired Moses’ mother
saying, ‘Suckle him, and then,
when you fear for him, cast him
into the river, and have no fear
and do not grieve, for We shall
return him to you, and shall
make him one of the
Messengers.’ 8 Then Pharaoh’s
household picked him up—later
to become for them an enemy
and a source of grief for them:
Pharaoh and Haman and their
hosts were wrongdoers—9 and
Pharaoh’s wife said, ‘He will be
a joy to the eye for me and you!
Do not slay him: he may well be
of use to us, or we may adopt
him as a son.’ They did not
realize what they were doing.10 Moses’ mother’s heart was
full of anxiety—she would have
disclosed his identity had We not
strengthened her heart so that
she might be a firm believer [in
Our promise]. 11 She said to
Moses’ sister, ‘Go, and follow
him.’ So she watched him from
a distance, like a stranger,
without anyone noticing her.12 We had already made him
refuse all wet nurses. So his
28:13 Al-Qasas 292
sister said to them, ‘Shall I tell
you of a family who will bring
him up for you and take good
care of him?’ 13 Thus We restored
him to his mother, so that she
might be comforted and not
grieve any more, and so that she
would know that God’s promise
was true. But most of them do
not realize this. 14 When Moses
reached full manhood and
maturity, We bestowed upon him
wisdom and knowledge: this is
how We reward those who do
good.15 He entered the city unnoticed
by its people, and there he
encountered two men fighting
with one another—one of his
own people and the other one of
his enemies. The one who
belonged to his own people cried
out to him for help against his
foe—whereupon Moses struck
him down with his fist, thereby
causing his death. Moses said,
‘This is Satan’s doing; he is an
open foe, leading man astray.’16 He prayed, ‘Forgive me Lord,
for I have sinned against my
soul.’ God forgave him; for He is
the Forgiving One, the Merciful.17 He said, ‘My Lord, because of
the favour that You have shown
me, I vow that I will never be a
helper of the guilty.’18 The next morning, when he
was walking in the city,
apprehensive, and watchful, and
the man who had sought his help
the day before cried out to him
again for help. Moses said to
him, ‘You are clearly a misguided
man.’ 19 When he wanted to catch
the one who was an enemy to
them both, the man said, ‘Moses,
do you want to kill me just as
you killed a man yesterday? You
only want to become a tyrant in
the land; you do not want to set
things right.’ 20 A man came
running from the far side of the
city, and said, ‘Moses, the
authorities are conspiring to kill
you, so leave the city. I am one
of your well-wishers.’ 21 So
Moses departed from the city,
fearful and vigilant, and prayed,
‘My Lord, save me from these
unjust people.’22 When he made his way
towards Midian, he said, ‘I am
sure, my Lord will guide me to
the right way.’ 23 And when he
arrived at the well of Midian, he
found around it a group of men
watering their flocks, and he saw
two women standing apart from
them, who were holding back
their flocks, so he asked, ‘What
is the matter with you?’ They
replied, ‘We cannot draw water
until the shepherds take away
their sheep. Our father is a very
old man.’ 24 So Moses watered
their flocks for them; and
returned into the shade and
prayed, ‘Lord, I am truly in need
of whatever blessing You may
send down for me,’ 25 and then
one of the two women came
walking shyly up to him and
said, ‘My father is asking you to
come so that he may reward you
for watering our flocks for us.’
When Moses came to their father
and gave him an account of
himself, he said: ‘Don’t be afraid!
You have escaped from those
wrongdoing people.’ 26 One of
the girls said, ‘Father, hire him!
For the best man to hire is
someone strong and trustworthy.’
293 The Story 28:31
27 The father said, ‘I would like
to marry you to one of these two
daughters of mine on the
condition that you stay eight
years in my service. But if you
wish it, you may stay ten. I do
not want to impose any hardship
on you. God willing, you will
find me a fair person.’ 28 Moses
said, ‘That is agreed between me
and you; whichever of the two
terms I fulfil, there will be no
blame on me. God is witness to
what we say.’29 When Moses completed the
term and set out with his family,
he noticed a fire in the direction
of Mount Tur. He said to his
family: ‘Stay here, I can see a
fire. Perhaps I can bring you
news, or a burning brand from
the fire with which you may
warm yourself.’ 30 And when he
came to it, he was called by a
voice from a bush in a blessed
spot, on the right side of the
valley: ‘O Moses, I am God,
Lord of the Universe. 31 Throw
down your staff.’ And when he
saw it move as though it were a
serpent, he turned his back and
fled, and did not look back. ‘O
Moses,’ said the voice, ‘come
forward and have no fear; you
are quite safe. 32 Put your hand
into your bosom; it will come
out [shining] white, without
blemish; now draw your arm
close to your body to calm your
fears. These are two credentials
from your Lord for Pharaoh and
his nobles. Surely, they are a
rebellious people.’33 Moses said, ‘My Lord, I
have killed one of their people
and fear that they may kill me.34 My brother Aaron is more
eloquent than I am. Send him
with me to support me and back
me up. For I fear that they will
reject me.’ 35 God said: ‘We shall
strengthen your arm through your
brother, We shall give you both
power, so that they shall not be
able to harm you. Set forth with
Our signs. You, and those who
follow you, will surely prevail.’36 When Moses came to them
with Our clear signs, they said,
‘This is nothing but contrived
magic. We never heard of this
among our forefathers.’ 37 And
Moses replied, ‘My Lord knows
best who comes with guidance
from Him and who will attain
the heavenly abode in the
hereafter. The wrongdoers shall
never prosper.’ 38 Pharaoh said,
‘O nobles, I know of no god for
you other than myself. So,
Haman, burn me bricks of clay,
and build me a high tower, so
that I may have a look at the God
of Moses, though I consider him
to be one of the liars.’39 He and his hosts behaved
arrogantly in the land without
any justification—thinking that
they would not be recalled to
Us— 40 so We seized him and his
hosts and cast them into the sea.
Consider the fate of the
wrongdoers. 41 We had made
them leaders, but they called
people to the Fire; and on the
Day of Judgement they will not
be helped. 42 We have caused a
curse to follow them in this
world and, on the Day of
Judgement, they will be among
the wretched. 43 After We had
destroyed the earlier generations,
We gave Moses the Book to give
28:32 Al-Qasas 294
men insight, and as guidance
and a blessing for people, so that
they might take heed.44 You were not present on the
western side of the Mount when
We gave Our Command to
Moses: nor were you among the
witnesses—45 We brought into
being many generations who
lived long lives—nor did you
live among the people of Midian
and recite our revelations to
them—it is We who send
messengers—46 you were not on
the side of the Mount when We
called out to Moses, but We have
sent you as a mercy from your
Lord, so that you may warn
people to whom no warner has
been sent before you, so that
they may take heed, 47 and may
not say, if an affliction should
befall them on account of their
misdeeds: ‘Lord, if only You had
sent us a messenger, we might
have followed Your message and
become believers.’ 48 But when
the truth came to them from Us,
they said, ‘Why has he not been
given the like of what Moses
was given?’ But did they not
reject what Moses was given
before? They said, ‘Both [Moses
and Muhammad] are kinds of
sorcery, each assisting the other.’
And they add, ‘We reject both of
them.’49 Say to them, ‘Bring down
from God a scripture that is a
better guide than these two and
I will follow it, if what you say
be true.’ 50 If they do not respond
to you, then know that they
follow only their own desires.
Who could be more astray than
he who follows his own likes
and dislikes with no guidance
from God? God does not guide
the evil-doers. 51 We have
conveyed Our Word to them, in
succession, so that they may
give heed.52 Those to whom We gave the
Book before this believe in it
[the Quran], 53 and, when it is
recited to them, they say, ‘We
believe in it. Indeed it is the truth
from our Lord. Even before it
came, we had submitted
ourselves.’ 54 Such people as
these will receive a double
reward, because they are
295 The Story 28:54
steadfast and repel evil with
good, and give alms out of what
We have given them, 55 and when
they hear vain talk, they turn
away from it and say, ‘We have
our actions and you have yours.
We wish you peace. We will
have nothing to do with the
ignorant.’ 56 You cannot guide
whoever you please: it is God
who guides whom He will. He
best knows those who would
accept guidance.57 They say, ‘If we were to
follow your guidance, we should
be uprooted from our land.’ But
have We not established for them
a safe haven to which fruits of
every kind are brought as a
provision from Ourself? But
most of them have no knowledge.58 How many townships have
We destroyed where the people
had become arrogant on account
of their affluence? Since then
their dwelling-places have
scarcely been inhabited—We
became their inheritors. 59 Your
Lord would never destroy
a people until He had sent
messengers to their capital cities,
reciting to them Our revelations.
Nor did We destroy a town unless
their people became wrongdoers.60 Whatever you are given in
this life is nothing but a
temporary provision of this life
and its glitter; what God has is
better and more lasting. Will you
not then understand? 61 Can
someone to whom We have made
a gracious promise and who will
see it fulfilled, be compared to
someone We have allowed to
enjoy a worldly life, awhile, and
who will be brought up [before
God] for his accounting on the
Day of Resurrection?62 On that Day He will call to
them, and say, ‘Where are those
whom you claimed to be My
partners?’ 63 And those on whom
sentence has been passed, will
say, ‘Our Lord, these are the
ones who led us astray. We led
them astray as we ourselves were
led astray. We now dissociate
ourselves from them before You;
it was not us that they
worshipped.’64 Then they will be told, ‘Call
upon your partners.’ And they
28:55 Al-Qasas 296
will call upon them, but will
receive no answer. They shall
witness the punishment. If only
they had allowed themselves to
be guided. 65 On that Day God
will call out to them, saying,
‘What answer did you give to
Our messengers?’ 66 They will
be left speechless on that Day,
and they will not be able to
consult each other. 67 But as for
him who repents and believes
and does good deeds, he can
hope to find himself among the
successful.68 Your Lord creates
whatsoever He wills and chooses
whomsoever He pleases. They
have no choice. Praise be to
God—exalted is He over
anything they may associate with
Him! 69 Your Lord knows what
they conceal in their hearts and
what they disclose. 70 He is God:
there is no god but Him. All
Praise is due to Him in this
world and the hereafter. His is
the Judgement and to Him you
shall be returned.71 Ask them, ‘Tell me, if God
were to extend perpetual night
over you till the Day of
Judgement, is there any deity
other than God that could bring
you light? Will you not listen?’72 Say, ‘Tell me, if God were to
extend perpetual day over you
till the Day of Judgement—is
there any deity other than God
that could bring you night, in
which to rest? Will you not then
see?’ 73 In His mercy He has
made for you the night and the
day, during which you may rest,
and seek His bounty and be
grateful.74 And on the Day He shall
call out to them and say, ‘Where
are those whom you alleged were
My partners.’ 75 And We shall
bring forth from every people a
witness and We shall say to
them: ‘Bring your proof.’ Then
they will know that truth belongs
to God alone, and that which
they used to invent will fall away
from them.76 Korah was one of Moses’
people, but he behaved arrogantly
towards them. We had given him
such treasures that their very
keys would have weighed down
297 The Story 28:76
a band of strong men. His people
said to him, ‘Do not exult in your
riches, for God does not love the
exultant. 77 But seek the Home
of the Hereafter by means of that
which God has bestowed on
you; do not forget to take your
portion [of the Hereafter] in this
world. Be good to others as God
has been good to you and do not
strive for evil in the land, for
God does not love the evil-doers.’78 But he said, ‘I have been
given it only because of the
knowledge I possess.’ Did he not
know that God had destroyed
before him people who were
stronger than he and possessed
even greater resources? The
guilty are not required to offer
explanations of their sins.79 Then he went forth before
his people in all his pomp. Those
who were eager for the life of
this world said, ‘If only we had
the like of Korah’s fortune! He
really is a very fortunate man,’80 but those who had been given
knowledge said, ‘Woe to you,
God’s reward is better for those
who believe and do good deeds:
and it is awarded only to those
who are steadfast.’81 Then We caused the earth to
swallow up him and his home:
there was no one to help him
against God, nor could he defend
himself. 82 Those who had
coveted his position the day
before now began to say, ‘Ah! It
is indeed God alone who gives
abundantly to whom He will and
sparingly to whom He pleases.
Had not God been gracious to
us, He would have caused us to
be swallowed up also.’ Alas
indeed! Those who deny the
truth will never prosper.83 As for the abode of the
Hereafter, We shall assign it to
those who seek neither self-
aggrandisement on the earth nor
corruption. The righteous shall
have a blessed end. 84 He who
does good shall be rewarded
with something better. But he
who does evil shall be requited
according to his deeds.85 He who has entrusted you
with the responsibility of the
Quran, will surely lead you to a
successful end. Say, ‘My Lord
28:77 Al-Qasas 298
knows best who is rightly guided
and who is in gross error.’ 86 You
never expected that this Book
would be revealed to you. Yet,
by the grace of your Lord, you
have received it. So do not
support those who reject the
truth. 87 And let no one divert
you from God’s revelations, once
they have been sent down to you.
Call people to your Lord. Never
be of those who ascribe partners
to God. 88 Invoke no god other
than God, for there is no god but
Him. All things are bound to
perish except Himself. His is the
judgement, and to Him you shall
be returned.
2 9 . T H E S P I D E R ( A L - ‘ A N K A B U T )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Mim
2 Do people think that once they
say, ‘We believe,’ they will be
left alone and not be put to the
test? 3 We certainly tried those
who have gone before them, so
God will certainly distinguish
between those who are truthful
and those who are lying.4 Do those who do evil imagine
that they will escape Us? How ill
they judge! 5 He who hopes to
meet God should know that
God’s appointed hour is sure to
come. He is the All Hearing, the
All Knowing. 6 And whoever
strives, strives only for himself—
God is independent of all His
creation—7 as for those who have
faith and do good works, We
shall certainly cleanse them of
their evil deeds and reward them
according to the best of their
actions.8 We have enjoined man to
show kindness to his parents.
But if they bid you associate
with Me something about which
you have no knowledge, do not
obey them. To Me you shall all
return, and I shall tell you about
299 The Spider 29:8
all that you have done. 9 We shall
surely admit those who believe
and do good deeds to the
company of the righteous.10 Some profess to believe in
God, but when they suffer for
God’s cause they mistake the
persecution of man for the
punishment of God. But when
help comes to you from God,
they will say, ‘We have always
been with you.’ Is not God fully
aware of what is in the hearts of
all creatures? 11 Most certainly
God will mark out those who
believe and mark out those who
are hypocrites.12 Those who deny the truth
say to the faithful, ‘Follow our
way, and we will bear the burden
of your sins.’ But they will bear
none of their sins. They are
surely lying. 13 They shall bear
their own burdens, and other
burdens besides. On the Day of
Resurrection they shall be
questioned about their false
assertions.14 We sent Noah to his people
and he lived among them for
fifty short of a thousand years;
then the deluge overtook them,
for they were wrongdoers. 15 But
We saved him and those who
were with him in the Ark and
made the event a sign for
mankind.16 Tell of Abraham. He said to
his people, ‘Worship God and
fear Him, that would be best for
you, if only you knew. 17 You
worship idols besides God and
fabricate falsehoods. Those
whom you worship besides God
have no power to provide
sustenance for you. So seek
your sustenance from God and
worship Him and be grateful to
Him, for to Him you shall return.18 If you reject the truth,
other communities before you
also rejected the truth. The
messenger’s responsibility is
only to convey the message
clearly.’19 Do they not see how
God originates creation, then
reproduces it? That surely is
easy for God. 20 Tell them, ‘Roam
the earth and see how He
originated creation. Then God
will bring into being your second
29:9 Al-‘Ankabut 300
life. God has power over all
things. 21 He punishes whom He
will and shows mercy to whom
He pleases. And to Him you
shall be returned. 22 You cannot
defeat His purpose on earth or in
heaven; nor have you any friend
or helper besides God.’ 23 Those
who deny God’s revelations and
the meeting with Him—it is they
who have despaired of My mercy.
They will suffer a grievous
punishment.24 The only response of
Abraham’s people was, ‘Kill him
or burn him!’ But God saved him
from the fire. Surely in this there
are signs for people who believe.25 Abraham said, ‘You have taken
up the worship of idols, instead
of God, to promote friendship
between yourselves in the
present life. But on the Day of
Judgement, you will disown and
curse one another. Your abode
will be the Fire and you will
have no helpers.’ 26 Lot was the
one who believed in him and
said, ‘I shall migrate to another
land for the sake of my Lord. He
is the Mighty One, the Wise
One.’ 27 We gave him Isaac and
Jacob and granted prophethood
and the Book to his descendants.
We gave him his reward in this
life and in the Hereafter he shall
dwell among the righteous.28 We sent Lot to his people
and he said to them, ‘Indeed you
commit obscenity such as no
people before you have ever
committed. 29 You approach men
and waylay them on the road and
commit depravities within your
gatherings.’ But his people’s only
reply was, ‘Bring down God’s
punishment upon us, if what you
say be true.’ 30 Lot prayed, ‘Lord,
help me against this wicked
people.’31 When Our messengers
brought Abraham the good news
[of the birth of Isaac] they [also]
said, ‘We are indeed going to
destroy the people of this city,
for the people of this city are
truly wrongdoers.’ 32 Abraham
said, ‘But, Lot lives here.’ They
answered, ‘We well know who
lives here. We shall surely save
him and his whole family, except
his wife, who will be among
301 The Spider 29:32
those who stay behind.’ 33 When
Our messengers came to Lot, he
was troubled and distressed on
their account. They said, ‘Have
no fear or grief. We shall certainly
save you and your household,
except your wife—who will be
among those who stay behind—34 We are surely going to bring
down a punishment from heaven
on the people of this town
because of their depravities.’35 Surely the ruins We left of that
city are a clear sign for a people
who use their reason.36 To the people of Midian We
sent their brother Shu‘ayb. He
said, ‘My people, worship God,
and look forward to the Last
Day, and do not commit evil and
spread corruption in the land.’37 But they rejected him, so the
earthquake overwhelmed them
and they were left lying prostrate
on the ground in their homes.38 The same happened to the
tribes of ‘Ad and Thamud: this
must be clear to you from their
ruins. Satan made their actions
seem good to them, and turned
them away from the straight
path, even though they were
intelligent people.39 Korah, Pharaoh, and Haman:
Moses came to them with clear
signs but they were arrogant in
the land. They could not escape
Us. 40 So We seized each one for
his sins; some We struck with a
violent storm; some of them were
overcome by a sudden blast,
some were swallowed up by the
earth and some We drowned.
God did not wrong them: they
wronged themselves.41 Those who take protectors
other than God can be compared
to the spider which builds itself
a cobweb, but the frailest of all
structures is the house of the
spider, if they but knew it. 42 God
surely knows what they invoke
besides Him. He is the Mighty,
the Wise One. 43 Such are the
comparisons We make for
people, but only those understand
them who have knowledge.44 God has created the heavens
and the earth for a purpose;
surely in this there is a sign for
true believers.45 Recite what has been
29:33 Al-‘Ankabut 302
revealed to you of the Book, and
pray regularly. Surely prayer
restrains one from indecency and
evil and remembrance of God is
greater. God has knowledge of
all your actions.46 Believers, argue only in the
best way with the People of the
Book, [but contend not at all]
with such of them as are unjust.
Say, ‘We believe in what has
been revealed to us, and what
has been revealed to you; our
God and your God are one; and
to Him we submit.’47 Likewise We have sent down
the Book to you. Those to whom
We gave the scripture believe in
it, and so do some of your own
people. Only those who deny the
truth reject Our revelations.48 You were not able to read any
book before this, nor did you
write one down with your hand.
If you had done so, the followers
of falsehood would have had cause
to doubt it. 49 But the Quran is a
revelation that is clear to the hearts
of those endowed with knowledge.
Only the evil-doers refuse to
acknowledge Our revelations.
50 They say, ‘Why has no sign
been given to him by his Lord?’
Say, ‘The signs are in the hands
of God. I am but a plain warner.’51 Is it not sufficient for them
that We have sent you down the
Book to be recited to them? In
this surely there is a blessing and
an admonition for a people who
believe. 52 Say, ‘God is sufficient
as a witness between you and
me. He knows all that is in the
heavens and the earth. Those who
believe in falsehood and reject
God will surely be the losers.’53 They ask you to hasten the
punishment. Had there not been
an appointed time for it, the
punishment would already have
come to them. Indeed it will
come down upon them suddenly
and catch them unawares. 54 They
ask you to hasten the punishment,
but surely, Hell is [already]
encompassing those who deny
the truth. 55 On the Day the
punishment envelops them from
above them and from underneath
their feet, they will be told, ‘Taste
[the punishment] for what you
used to do!’
303 The Spider 29:55
56 My servants who believe,
My earth is vast, so worship Me
alone. 57 Every soul shall taste
death and then to Us you shall
return. 58 We shall lodge forever
those who believe and do good
works in the mansions of
Paradise beside which rivers
flow. How excellent is the reward
of those who labour, 59 and who
are steadfast and put their trust
in their Lord. 60 How many
creatures cannot fend for
themselves! God provides for
them and for you. He is the All
Hearing, the All Knowing.61 If you ask them who it is
that has created the heavens and
the earth and subjugated the sun
and the moon, they will say,
‘God.’ How then are they turned
away? 62 God gives abundantly
to whom He will and sparingly to
whom He pleases. God has full
knowledge of all things. 63 And if
you ask them who it is that sends
down water from the sky and
revives the earth with it after its
death, they will surely answer,
‘God.’ Then praise be to God. But
most of them do not understand.
64 The life of this world is
nothing but sport and a diversion.
It is the life of the Hereafter
which is the only true life, if they
but knew it. 65 When they board
a vessel, they call on God, sincere
in their faith for Him alone;
but when He brings them
safe to land, they begin to
ascribe partners to Him. 66 And
thus they may show utter
ingratitude for Our favours;
let them enjoy themselves for
a time. But they will soon come
to know.67 Have they not seen how We
have granted them a safe
sanctuary, though all around
them people are snatched away?
Would they still believe in
falsehood, and deny the favour
of God? 68 Who does greater
wrong than he who invents a
lie about God or rejects the
truth when it comes to him?
Is Hell not the home for
those who deny the truth. 69 We
will surely guide in Our ways
those who strive hard for
Our cause, God is surely with
the righteous.
29:56 Al-‘Ankabut 304
1 Alif Lam Mim
2 The Romans have been defeated3 in a nearby land. They will
reverse their defeat with a victory4 within a few years: [for] with
God rests all power of decision,
first and last. On that day the
believers too will have cause to
rejoice, 5 with the help of God.
He helps whom He pleases: He
is the Mighty, and the Merciful.6 [This is] God’s promise. Never
does God fail to fulfil His
promise—but most people do
not know this; 7 they only know
the outward appearance of the
life of this world, and they are
neglectful of the Hereafter.8 Do they not ponder about
their own selves? God has created
the heavens and the earth and all
that is between them for a
purpose and for an appointed
time? Yet many deny they will
ever meet with their Lord. 9 Have
they not travelled through the
land and seen what end their
predecessors met? They
were mightier than them: they
cultivated the earth more and
built more upon it than these
have ever built. Their own
messengers also came to them
with clear signs: God did not
wrong them; they wronged
themselves. 10 Then the end of
those who committed evil was
evil, for they belied the signs of
God, and they derided them.11 God originates the creation,
and shall repeat it, then to Him
you shall be returned. 12 On the
Day the Hour arrives, the guilty
will be struck dumb with
despair, 13 and they will have
no intercessors among those
partners they ascribed to God.
They will deny these partners.14 When the Last Hour dawns—
on that Day they will be sorted
out: 15 those who believed and
did good deeds will rejoice in a
Garden, 16 and as for those who
3 0 . T H E R O M A N S ( A L - R U M )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
(305)
denied the truth and belied Our
signs and the meeting in the
Hereafter—they shall be brought
to the torment. 17 So glorify God
in the evening and in the
morning—18 and praise be to
Him in the heavens and on the
earth—and glorify Him in the
late afternoon, and at midday.a
19 He brings forth the living
from the dead and the dead from
the living. He gives life to the
earth after its death, and you
shall be raised to life in the same
way. 20 One of His signs is that
He created you from dust and,
behold, you became human
beings and multiplied yourselves
throughout the earth. 21 Another
of His signs is that He created
for you from among yourselves
spouses, so that you might
find repose in them, and He
created between you affection
and kindness. Truly there are
signs in this for people who
reflect.22 Another of His signs is that
He created the heavens and earth,
and the diversity of your
languages and colours. There
truly are signs in this for those
who know. 23 Among His signs
are your sleep, at night or in
daytime, and your seeking His
bounty. There truly are signs in
this for people who hear.24 Among His signs is this: He
shows you the lightning, giving
rise to [both] fear and hope, and
sends down water from the sky,
giving life thereby to the earth
after it had been lifeless: in this,
behold, there are signs indeed
for people who use their reason!25 Another of His signs is this:
the heavens and the earth stand
firm by His command and
afterwards when He calls you,
behold, from the earth you will
come forth. 26 All those in the
30:17 Al-Rum 306
a Constant remembrance (through
prayer, etc.) and deep contemplation
lead a man towards finding God. It is
by profound thought that a man finds
God. In the present world, God has
scattered His signs everywhere—in
the human environment, in the
surrounding universe and also in the
teachings of the Prophet. Those who
give serious consideration to these
signs of God will find God.
heavens and on the earth belong
to Him. All are obedient to Him.27 He is the One who originates
creation, then repeats it, and it is
very easy for Him. His is the
most exalted state in the heavens
and on the earth; He is the
Mighty, the Wise One.28 He sets forth for you an
example taken from your own
lives. Do you make your servants
full partners with an equal share
in the wealth We have bestowed
upon you? Do you fear them as
you fear each other? In this way
We explain the signs to people
who use their reason. 29 And still
those who are unjust follow their
own desires without having any
knowledge. Then who can guide
those whom God has let go
astray? There shall be none to
help them.30 Devote yourself single-
mindedly to the Religion. And
follow the nature [constitution]
as made by God, that nature in
which He has created mankind.
There is no altering the creation
of God. That is the right religion.
But most people do not realize
it. 31 Turn to Him and fear Him,
and be steadfast in prayer, and
do not be one of those who
associate partners with God,32 those who split up their religion
and became divided into sects; each
one exulting in what they have.33 When an affliction befalls
men, they cry out to their Lord,
turning to Him in repentance;
but then, when He has made
them taste His mercy, a section
of them associate partners with
their Lord, 34 and are ungrateful
for what We have given them. So
enjoy yourselves for a while, but
soon you will come to know.35 Have We sent down to them
any authority which speaks in
favour of what they associate
with Him?36 When We give mankind a
taste of Our blessing, they rejoice
therein: but if they encounter
tribulation because of their own
actions—they fall into despair.37 Do they not see that God gives
abundantly to whoever He
pleases, and sparingly to whoever
He pleases? In that truly there
are signs for those who believe.
307 The Romans 30:37
38 So give the near relative, the
needy, and the wayfarer their
due—that is best for those who
seek God’s pleasure: such men
are the ones who will surely
prosper. 39 Whatever you lend
out in usury to gain in value
through other people’s wealth
will not increase in God’s eyes,
but whatever you give in alms in
your desire for God’s pleasure
will be multiplied.40 God is He who created you,
then provides for you, then will
cause you to die and then bring
you back to life. Can any of your
‘partners’ do any one of these
things? Glory be to Him and
exalted be He above anything
they associate with Him!41 Corruption has appeared on
land and sea because of the evil
which men’s hands have done:
and so He will make them taste
the fruit of some of their doings,
so that they may turn back from
evil. 42 Say, ‘Journey through the
land, and see how those before
you met their end—most of them,
ascribed partners with God.’43 [Prophet], set your face to
the right religion, before that
Day comes from God which
cannot be averted. On that Day,
mankind will be parted in two.44 Those who rejected the truth
will bear the burden of that
rejection, and those who did
good deeds will have made good
provision for themselves. 45 For
then He will reward out of His
bounty those who believe and do
good deeds; He does not love
those who reject the truth.46 Among His signs is this: He
sends out the winds bearing good
news so that He may make you
taste His mercy, and ships sail at
His command, so that you may
seek His bounty, and be grateful.47 Surely, We sent messengers
before you to their own people,
and they brought them clear
signs. Then We took vengeance
on the guilty. It was certainly
Our duty to help the believers.48 It is God who sends out the
winds so that they raise the
clouds. Then He spreads them in
the sky as He wills and places
them layer upon layer and you
see the rain issuing forth from
30:38 Al-Rum 308
their midst. When He causes it to
fall on whichever of His servants
He pleases, behold! they rejoice;49 though before that—before it
was sent down upon them—
they were in despair. 50 Look,
therefore, at the signs of God’s
mercy; how He resurrects the
earth after its death. Truly, the
same God will resurrect the dead;
for He has power over all things.51 Yet if We send a wind and they
see their harvest turn yellow,
they will then begin to deny [Our
favours]. 52 You [Prophet] cannot
make the dead hear and you
cannot make the deaf hear your
call when they turn their backs
and leave; 53 just as you cannot
lead the blind [of heart] out of
their error, you cannot make
anyone hear your call save those
who are willing to believe in Our
revelations, and thus surrender
themselves to Us and are
submissive to Our will.54 God is the One who has
created you in a state of
weakness; then He has granted
you strength following [your]
weakness; later on He has given
you infirmity and grey hairs in
place of strength. He creates
whatever He wishes; He is the
All Knowing and All Powerful.55 On the Day the Last Hour
arrives, the evil-doers will swear
they have not even tarried for an
hour—they have always been
deluded—56 but those endowed
with knowledge and faith will
say, ‘Indeed, you did tarry, as
God ordained, till the Day of
Resurrection, and this is the Day
of Resurrection: but you were
not aware of it.’ 57 So on that
Day their pleas shall be of no
avail, nor will they be allowed to
make amends.58 Truly, We have set forth for
men in this Quran every kind of
parable and indeed, if you bring
them a sign, those who are bent
on denying the truth are sure to
say, ‘You are only making false
claims!’ 59 In this way God seals
the hearts of those who do not
[want to] know [the truth], 60 so
have patience [O Muhammad]!
God’s promise is true; let not
those who will not be convinced
make you discouraged.
309 The Romans 30:60
3 1 . L U Q M A N ( L U Q M A N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Mim
2 These are the verses of the
Book of wisdom, 3 a guide and a
mercy for those who do good,4 for those who attend to their
prayers and pay the zakat and
who have firm faith in the
Hereafter: 5 these are rightly
guided by their Lord: and these
are the ones who will prosper.6 But among men there are
some who spend their time in
idle diversions only to lead
people astray from the path of
God, and without knowledge,
hold it up to ridicule: for
such there is a humiliating
punishment in store. 7 Whenever
Our messages are conveyed to
such a person, he turns away in
his arrogance, as though he had
not heard them—as though his
ears were sealed: give him, then,
the tidings of grievous suffering
[in the life to come]. 8 Surely,
those who believe and do good
works shall enter gardens of bliss,9 wherein they will abide forever.
That is God’s true promise; He is
the Mighty, the Wise One.10 He has created the skies
without any support that you
could see, and has placed firm
mountains upon the earth, lest it
sway with you, and has caused
all manner of living creatures to
multiply thereon. And We sent
down water from the skies, and
thus We made every kind of
excellent plant grow there: 11 this
is God’s creation. Show me then
what those besides Him have
created! The wrongdoers are in
manifest error.12 We bestowed wisdom on
Luqman, saying, ‘Be grateful to
God: he who is grateful, is
grateful only for the good of his
own soul. But if anyone is
ungrateful, then surely God is
self-sufficient and praiseworthy.’13 Luqman said to his son,
counselling him, ‘My son, do
(310)
not associate anything with God.
Associating others with Him is a
terrible wrong.’14 We have enjoined man to
show kindness to his parents—
for his mother bears him, in
hardship upon hardship, and his
weaning takes two years. [We
said] Give thanks to Me and to
your parents; all will return to
Me. 15 But if they press you to
associate something with Me
about which you have no
knowledge, do not obey them.
Yet be kind to them in this world
and follow the path of those who
turn to Me. You will all return to
Me in the end, and I will tell you
everything that you have done.16 [Luqman further said,] ‘O
my son! Though it be but the
weight of a grain of mustard
seed and though it be hidden in
a rock, or in the heavens or on
the earth, God will bring it forth.
Truly, God is the knower of all
subtleties and He is aware. 17 O
my dear son! Say your prayers
regularly, and enjoin good, and
forbid evil, and endure patiently
whatever may befall you. Surely,
this is something which requires
firm resolve. 18 Do not avert
your face from people out of
haughtiness and do not walk
with pride on the earth: for,
behold, God does not love
arrogant and boastful people.19 Walk modestly and lower your
voice, for the ugliest of all voices
is the braying of the ass.’20 Have you not seen that God
has subjected to you whatever is
in the heavens and whatever is
on the earth, and has completed
His favours to you, both seen
and unseen? Yet there are some
who dispute concerning God,
without knowledge or guidance
or an enlightening Book. 21 When
they are told to follow the
[Revelations] that God has sent
down, they say, ‘No, we shall
follow the ways that we found
our fathers [following].’ Yes!
Even though Satan is inviting
them to the punishment of the
burning Fire?22 He who submits himself
completely to God, and is a doer
of good, has surely grasped a
strong handle, for the final
311 Luqman 31:22
outcome of all events rests with
God. 23 But if any reject the
Faith, let not his rejection grieve
you: for to Us they shall return,
and We shall tell them the truth
about their deeds: for God knows
well all that is in the human
hearts—24 We shall let them
enjoy themselves for a little
while, but then We shall drive
them to a harsh punishment.25 If you should ask them,
‘Who created the heavens and
the earth?’ They will surely
answer, ‘God.’ Say, ‘Praise be to
God!’ But most of them do not
understand. 26 Whatever is in the
heavens and the earth belongs to
God. Assuredly, God is self-
sufficient and praiseworthy. 27 If
all the trees on earth were pens,
and the sea [were] ink, with
seven [more] seas added to it,
the words of God would not be
exhausted: for, truly, God is
Almighty and Wise.28 Creating and resurrecting all
of you is just like creating and
resurrecting a single soul. Truly,
God hears all and observes all.29 Have you not seen that God
makes the night pass into the
day, and makes the day pass into
the night, and that He has pressed
the sun and the moon into His
service, each pursuing its course
for an appointed term, and that
God is well aware of what you
do? 30 That is because God is the
Truth, and what they call
upon besides Him is falsehood.
God is the Most High, the
Supreme One.31 Have you not seen how the
ships sail on the sea by God’s
grace so that He may show you
some of His signs? Surely therein
are signs for every steadfast,
thankful person. 32 When the
waves engulf them like shadows
[of death], they call to God,
sincere [at that moment] in their
faith in Him alone: but as soon
as He has brought them safe
ashore, only some of them take
the right course. And none denies
Our signs save the perfidious
and ungrateful person.33 O men, seek protection with
your Lord and fear the Day when
neither will the father be of any
avail to his son, nor will the son
31:23 Luqman 312
be of any avail to his father.
God’s promise is surely true. So
let not worldly life beguile you,
nor let the Deceiver deceive you
concerning God. 34 Truly, God
alone has knowledge of the Hour.
He sends down the rain, and He
knows what is in the wombs. No
soul knows what it will earn
tomorrow, and no soul knows in
what land it will die. Surely, God
is all knowing, all-aware.
3 2 . P R O S T R AT I O N ( A L - S A J D A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Alif Lam Mim
2 This Book has beyond all doubt
been revealed by the Lord of the
Universe. 3 Do they say, ‘He has
invented it himself.’? No indeed!
It is the truth from your Lord to
warn a people to whom, before
you, no warner came, so that
hopefully they may be rightly
guided.4 It was God who created the
heavens and the earth and
whatsoever is in between in six
Days, and then He established
Himself on the throne. You have
no patron nor any intercessor
besides Him. So will you not pay
heed? 5 He directs all affairs from
heaven to earth. Then all will
again ascend to Him on a Day
whose length is a thousand years
by the way you measure. 6 Such
is the Knower of the unseen and
the visible, the Powerful, the
Merciful, 7 who gave everything
its perfect form. He originated
the creation of man from clay,8 then He made his progeny from
an extract of a humble fluid.9 Then He moulded him; He
breathed His Spirit into him; He
gave you hearing, sight, and
hearts. How seldom you are
grateful!10 They say, ‘When we are lost
in the earth, how can we then be
recreated?’ Indeed, they deny
313 Prostration 32:10
they will ever meet their Lord.11 Say, ‘The Angel of Death who
has been given charge of you
will gather in your souls. Then
you will [all] be returned to your
Lord.’ 12 If only you could see
the evil-doers hanging their heads
in shame before their Lord, ‘Our
Lord, we have seen and we have
heard, so send us back again and
we will act rightly. For we do
indeed now believe.’ 13 Yet had
We so willed, We could indeed
have imposed Our guidance upon
every human being: but My word
shall come true: ‘I will fill Hell
with jinns and men all together.’14 We shall say to them, ‘Taste
this—for you forgot you would
ever meet this Day. We too
will forget you—taste the
chastisement of Eternity for your
[evil] deeds!’ 15 The people who
truly believe in Our messages
are those who fall to the ground
in prostration when they are
reminded of them, and glorify
their Lord with praise and are
not arrogant. 16 They forsake their
beds, calling upon their Lord in
fear and in hope, and spend out
of what We have provided them
with. 17 No soul knows what joy
is kept hidden in store for them
as a reward for their labours.18 So, is someone who believes
equal to someone who defies
God? No, they are not equal.19 Those who believe and do
good deeds shall be lodged in
the Gardens of Paradise as a
reward for what they have done.20As for those who defy God,
their home shall be the Fire.
Whenever they try to escape it,
they shall be driven back into it,
and they shall be told, ‘Taste the
torment of the Fire, which you
have persistently denied.’ 21 And
most surely We will make them
taste a lesser punishment before
the greater punishment, so that
perhaps they may return to Us in
repentance. 22 Who does greater
wrong than someone who, when
revelations of his Lord are recited
to him, turns away from them?
We shall inflict retribution on
the guilty.23 We gave Moses the
Scripture—so [Muhammad] do
not doubt that you are receiving
32:11 Al-Sajdah 314
33 . T H E C O N F E D E R AT E S ( A L - A H Z A B )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
it—just as We made it a guide
for the Children of Israel. 24 We
appointed leaders from among
them, guiding by Our command
when they were steadfast and
when they had firm faith in Our
signs. 25 Surely your Lord will
judge between them on the Day
of Resurrection concerning that
wherein they used to differ.26 Does it not guide them [to see]
how many generations We
destroyed before them, among
whose ruined dwellings they now
walk about? There truly are signs
in this—will they not listen?
27 Have they not seen that We
drive the water to the barren
land and produce thereby
crops of which their cattle
and they themselves eat? Will
they not then see? 28 And they
say, ‘When will this judgement
come, if you are telling the truth?’29 Say, ‘On the Day of Judgement
it will be of no benefit to
those who were bent on
denying the truth, if they [then]
believe! They will be granted no
respite.’ 30 So turn away from
them and wait. They too
are waiting.
1 O Prophet, have fear of God
and do not yield to those who
deny the truth and the hypocrites.
God is all-knowing and all-wise.2 Follow what is revealed to you
from your Lord. God is aware of
all that you do. 3 Put your trust
in God; God is sufficient as a
Guardian.4 God has not placed two hearts
in any man’s body, nor has He
made your wives—from whom
you keep away by saying, ‘Be as
my mother’s back’—your [real]
mothers, neither He has made
your adopted sons as your own
sons. These are merely words
which you utter with your
mouths: but God speaks the truth
and gives guidance to the right
315 The Confederates 33:4
path. 5 Call them after their own
fathers; that is closer to justice in
the sight of God. If you do not
know their fathers, regard them
as your brothers in faith and your
protégés. You will not be blamed
if you make a mistake, you will
be held accountable only for
what in your hearts you have
done intentionally. God is
forgiving and merciful.6 The Prophet has a higher
claim on the believers than [they
have on] their own selves, and
his wives are their mothers.
Blood relatives are closer to one
another in God’s Book than are
believers and the Emigrants
except that you want to show
your friends a kindness. That is
decreed in the Book.7 We took a solemn pledge
from the prophets, from you
and Noah, Abraham, Moses
and Jesus, the son of Mary—
We took a solemn pledge
from all of them. 8 So that God
might ask those men of truth as
to [what response] their
truthfulness [had received on
earth]. But for those who deny
the truth, He has prepared a
woeful punishment.9 You who have attained to
faith, remember God’s blessings
upon you when mighty armies
massed against you. We sent a
violent wind against them and
hosts that you could not see. God
sees all that you do. 10 When
they came against you both from
above you and from below you,
your eyes rolled [with fear] and
your hearts leapt up to your
throats, and you entertained [ill]
thoughts about God. 11 There the
faithful were put to the proof
and they were shaken as if by an
earthquake.12 The hypocrites and people
with sickness in their hearts said,
‘God and His Messenger have
promised us nothing but
delusions.’ 13 Others said,
‘People of Yathrib, you cannot
withstand [the enemy] here: so
go back!’ Yet others asked leave
of the Prophet, saying, ‘Our
houses are exposed and
[defenceless].’ They were in truth
not exposed: they only wished to
flee. 14 If their town had been
33:5 Al-Ahzab 316
stormed, and they had been
incited to sedition, they would
have rebelled with little
hesitation. 15 They had already
vowed before God that they
would never turn their backs:
and a vow made to God must be
answered for. 16 Say, ‘Flight shall
not avail you: if you manage to
escape from death or killing, you
will enjoy life only for a short
while.’a 17 Say, ‘Who is there to
shield you from God if He wishes
to harm you? If God wishes to
show you mercy, who can prevent
Him.’ Besides God they shall
find none to protect them, and
none to bring them succour.18 God knows exactly who
among you hold the others back,
who say to their brethren, ‘Come
over to our side,’ and they seldom
take part in the fighting.19 Begrudging you all help, but
when danger comes, you can see
them looking at you with rolling
eyes as if in their death throes;
but once their fear has passed,
they come to you and do glib-
talking in their greed for wealth.
Such men have no faith, so God
has foiled their actions. This is
indeed easy for God. 20 They
thought the confederate tribes
would never withdraw. Indeed,
if the confederates should come
again, they would prefer to be in
the desert, among the Bedouins.
There they would ask news of
you [from a distance]. But if
they were with you, they would
take very little part in the fighting.21 You have indeed in the
Prophet of God a good example
for those of you who look to God
and the Last Day, and remember
God always. 22 When the
believers saw the confederates,
they said, ‘This is what God and
His Messenger have promised
us. Surely the promise of God
and His Messenger has come
true.’ It served to increase them
in faith and submission.23 Among the believers there are
men who have been true to the
pledge they made with God.
Among them are such as have
fulfilled their vow, and some
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
317 The Confederates 33:23
who [still] wait, without having
changed [their resolve] in the
least. 24 God will surely reward
the truthful for their truthfulness
and punish the hypocrites, if He
so wishes, or He may accept
their repentance, for God is
forgiving and merciful.25 God turned back those who
denied the truth in their rage,
without their having gained any
advantage. God was enough to
[protect] the believers in battle.
God is strong and all-powerful.26 He brought down from their
strongholds those People of the
Book who supported the
aggressors and filled their hearts
with terror. Some of them you
killed and others you took
captive. 27 He made you heirs to
their lands, and their houses, and
their possessions and lands on
which you had not set foot before.
God has power over all things.28 O Prophet, say to your wives,
‘If you seek the life of this world
and all its finery then come, I
will make provision for you, and
release you honourably. 29 But if
you seek God and His Messenger
and the abode of the Hereafter,
then know that God has prepared
a great reward for those of you
who do good deeds.’ 30 Wives of
the Prophet! Any one of you who
commits a flagrant act of
misconduct shall be doubly
punished. That is easy enough
for God.31 But those of you who obey
God and His Messenger and do
good deeds, shall be doubly
rewarded. For them We have
made an excellent provision.32 Wives of the Prophet, you are
not like any other women. If you
fear God, do not be too soft-
spoken in case the ill-intentioned
should feel tempted. Speak in an
appropriate manner.33 Stay in your homes and do
not flaunt your charms as in the
former times of ignorance.
Attend to your prayers, pay the
zakat and obey God and His
Messenger. Women of the
[Prophet’s] Household, God
seeks only to remove all impurity
from you, and to make you
completely pure. 34 Bear in mind
all that is recited in your homes
33:24 Al-Ahzab 318
of the revelations of God and of
wisdom. God is all pervading
and all aware.35 Surely, for men and women
who have surrendered [to God]—
believing men and believing
women, obedient men and
obedient women, truthful men
and truthful women, patient men
and patient women, humble men
and humble women, charitable
men and charitable women,
fasting men and fasting women,
men and women who guard their
chastity, men and women who
are ever mindful of God—God
is ready with forgiveness and an
immense reward. 36 It is not
fitting for a believing man or
woman to exercise any choice in
his or her own affairs once God
and His Messenger have reached
a decision upon them. Anyone
who disobeys God and His
Messenger is in manifest error.37 You said to the man who
had been favoured by God and
by you, ‘Keep your wife to
yourself and have fear of God.’
You sought to hide in your heart
what God wished to reveal. You
were afraid of people, whereas itwould have been more proper to
fear God. When Zayd divorcedhis wife, We gave her to you inmarriage, so that there should beno restriction on believersmarrying the spouses of theiradopted sons when they
have divorced them. Thecommandment of God must befulfilled. 38 No blame shall beattached to the Prophet for doingwhat is sanctioned for him byGod. This was God’s way with
those who went before him—and the command of God is adecree determined. 39 Those whoconveyed God’s messages andand feared Him, and feared nonebut God: God suffices as a
Reckoner. 40 Muhammad is notthe father of any of your men,but is God’s Messenger and theseal of the Prophets. God hasknowledge of all things.
41 Believers, remember God
often. 42 Glorify Him morningand evening. 43 It is He whosends blessings to you, as do Hisangels, so that He may bring you
out of the darkness into the light.
He is most merciful to the
319 The Confederates 33:43
believers. 44 On the Day they
meet Him, they will be welcomed
with the greeting, ‘Peace!’ He
has prepared an honourable
reward for them.45 O Prophet, We have sent
forth you as a witness, as a
bearer of good news and a warner.46 As one who calls people to
God by His leave, and guides
them like a shining light.47 Convey to the believers the
good news that God has
bounteous blessings in store for
them. 48 Do not yield to those
who deny the truth and the
hypocrites: ignore their hurtful
talk. Put your trust in God; God
is your all sufficient guardian.49 Believers, if you marry
believing women, and divorce
them before the marriage is
consummated, you are not
required to observe a waiting
period: make provision for them
and release them in an
honourable way.50 Prophet, We have made
lawful for you the wives to whom
you have given their dowers, as
well as those whom your right
hand possesses from among the
captives of war whom God has
bestowed upon you. and [We
have made lawful to you] the
daughters of your paternal uncles
and aunts, and the daughters of
your maternal uncles and aunts,
who have migrated with you;
and any believing woman who
gives herself to the Prophet,
provided the Prophet wants to
marry her. This applies only to
you and not to the rest of the
believers. We know what We
have prescribed for them
concerning their wives and those
whom their right hands may
possess, in order that there may
be no blame on you. God is most
forgiving, most merciful.51 You may defer [the turn of]
any of them that you please, and
you may receive any you please:
and there is no blame on you if
you invite one whose [turn] you
have set aside. That is more
proper, so that their eyes may be
cooled, and so that they may not
grieve, and so that they will be
satisfied with what you have
given them. God knows what is
33:44 Al-Ahzab 320
in your hearts; and God is all
knowing, and forbearing. 52 It is
not lawful for you to marry more
women after this, nor to change
them for other wives, even
though their beauty may please
you, except any that your right
hand possesses. God is watchful
over all things.53 Believers, do not enter the
houses of the Prophet, unless
you are invited for a meal. Do
not linger until a meal is ready.
When you are invited enter and
when you have taken your meal,
depart. Do not stay on, indulging
in conversation. Doing that
causes annoyance to the Prophet,
though he is too reticent to tell
you so, but God is not reticent
with the truth. When you ask
[the wives of the Prophet] for
anything, ask them from behind
a curtain. That will be purer for
your hearts as well as their hearts.
It is not right for you to cause
annoyance to the Messenger of
God or for you ever to marry his
wives after him. Indeed that
would be an enormity in the
sight of God. 54 Whether you
reveal anything or hide it, God is
aware of everything.55 There shall be no blame on
them for appearing before their
fathers, their sons, their brothers,
their brothers’ sons, their sisters’
sons, their women or those whom
their right hands may possess.
Women, fear God. God observes
all things.56 God and His angels bestow
blessings on the Prophet. O
believers, you also should invoke
blessings on him and give him
greetings of peace. 57 Those who
annoy God and His Messenger
shall be cursed by God in this
world and in the Hereafter.
God has prepared for them
a humiliating punishment.58 Those who affront believing
men and believing women
without their having deserved it
[done any wrong] shall bear the
weight of slander and flagrant
sin.59 O Prophet! Tell your wives
and your daughters and believing
women that they should
draw over themselves some of
their outer garments [when in
321 The Confederates 33:59
public], so as to be recognized
and not harmed. God is most
forgiving and most merciful. 60 If
the hypocrites and those who
have tainted hearts and the
scandal mongers of Madinah do
not desist, We shall surely give
you authority over them and their
days in that city will be
numbered. 61 Accursed, wherever
they are found, they will be
seized and killed.a 62 Such has
been God’s way with those who
have gone before them. You shall
find no change in the ways of God.63 People will ask you about
the Hour. Say, ‘God alone has
knowledge of it. Who knows?
The Hour may well be near at
hand.’ 64 God has rejected those
who deny the truth and prepared
for them a blazing Fire. 65 There
they will live forever, and they
will find therein neither friend
nor helper. 66 On the Day when
their faces are turned over in the
Fire, they shall say: ‘Oh, would
that we had obeyed God, and
obeyed the Messenger!’ 67 They
shall say, ‘Our Lord, we paid
heed to our leaders and our elders,
but they led us away from the
right path. 68 Our Lord, give them
double punishment and curse
them with a mighty curse.’69 Believers, do not behave like
those who slandered Moses. God
cleared him of their allegations.
He was honourable in the sight
of God. 70 Believers, fear God,
and say the right word. 71 He will
bless your works for you and
forgive you your sins. Whoever
obeys God and His Messenger
has indeed achieved a great
success.72 We offered the Trust to the
heavens and the earth and the
mountains, but they refused to
bear it, because they were afraid
of it. But man bore it: he surely
proved unjust and ignorant.73 God will punish the hypocrites,
both men and women, and
polytheists, both men and
women, but God will turn in His
mercy to believing men and
believing women; God is most
forgiving and most merciful.
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
33:60 Al-Ahzab 322
3 4 . S H E B A ( S A B A’ )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Praise be to God, to whom
belongs all that the heavens and
the earth contain and praise be to
Him in the Hereafter. He is the
All Wise, the All Aware. 2 He
knows whatever goes into the
earth and whatever comes forth
from it, and whatever descends
from heaven and whatever
ascends into it. He is the
Merciful, the Forgiving.3 Those who deny the truth
declare, ‘The Hour will never
come upon us.’ Say, ‘Yes, by my
Lord, it will surely come upon
you! Who knows the unseen.
Not the smallest particle in the
heavens or the earth, or anything
less or greater than that escapes
Him; all is recorded in an open
Book. 4 He will surely reward
those who believe and do good
deeds: they shall have
forgiveness and an honourable
provision.’ 5 But those who strive
against Our signs, trying to defeat
them, will suffer a painful
torment. 6 Those who have been
given knowledge know that what
has been revealed to you from
your Lord is the truth, and that it
guides to the path of the
Almighty, the Praiseworthy.7 Those who deny the truth
say, ‘Shall we point out to you a
man who will tell you that when
you are broken up into particles,
you will be put together again in
a new creation? 8 Has he invented
a lie about God, or is he afflicted
with madness?’ Indeed no. It is
those who do not believe in the
Hereafter who will suffer torment,
for they have strayed far into
error. 9 Do they not observe how
they are encompassed by what is
before them and what is behind
them in heaven and on earth? We
could, if We pleased, cause the
earth to swallow them up, or
cause a piece of the sky to fall
upon them. In that certainly there
is a sign for every servant of
Ours who turns to us.
(323)
10 We bestowed upon David
great favour. We said, ‘O
mountains and birds! Join with
him in celebrating Our praise.’
We softened iron for him, saying,11 ‘Make full-length coats of
mail, measuring the links well.
And do righteous deeds. Surely,
I see all that you do.’12 We subjected the wind to
Solomon; its morning course was
a month and its evening course a
month; and We caused a fount of
molten copper to flow for him.
And of the jinn there were some
who worked under him, by the
command of his Lord. If any one
of them turned away from Our
command, We would make him
taste the punishment of the
burning fire. 13 They made for
him whatever he desired: palaces
and statues, basins like
reservoirs, and large cooking
vessels fixed in their places. We
said, ‘Give thanks, house of
David, for few of My servants
are truly grateful.’14 When We decreed Solomon’s
death, nothing indicated his
death to them except
a worm from the earth,
which was eating away at his
cane. When he fell down, the
jinn plainly realized that if
they had known what was
unseen, they would not have
had to continue with such
humiliating labour.15 For the people of Sheba
there was a sign in their
homeland: two gardens, one on
the right hand and the other on
the left. We said to them: ‘Eat
what your Lord has provided for
you, and be grateful. You have a
good land and a Lord most
forgiving.’ 16 Yet they turned
away [from the truth]. So We let
loose on them a flood from the
dam and replaced their two
gardens by two others bearing
bitter fruits, tamarisks, and a few
lote trees. 17 We requited them in
that way because of their
ingratitude. We requite no one in
that way but the ungrateful.18 We had placed between them
and the towns that We had
blessed, other towns situated close
to each other, and We fixed the
stages [of journey] between them,
34:10 Saba’ 324
saying, ‘Travel between them in
safety by night and day,’ 19 but
they said, ‘Our Lord! Make the
stages of our journeys longer.’
Thus they wronged themselves
and We made them bygone tales
and scattered them throughout
the land. There are certainly signs
in that for everyone who is
steadfast and thankful.20 Satan was correct in his
assessment of them and they all
followed him—except for a band
of true believers—21 but he had
no authority over them; We only
desired to distinguish those who
believed in the Hereafter from
those who were in doubt
concerning it. Your Lord is
watchful over all things.22 Call upon those whom you
set up beside God! They possess
not an atom’s weight either in
the heavens or on the earth, nor
have they any share in either, nor
has He any helpers among them.23 No intercession avails with
Him, except on the part of one to
whom He grants permission.
When their hearts are relieved of
fear, they will enquire from those
to whom permission is granted,
‘What has your Lord said?’ They
will answer, ‘The truth. He is the
Most High, the Supreme One.’24 Ask them, ‘Who provides
sustenance for you from the
heavens and the earth?’ Say, ‘It
is God’; either you or we are
rightly guided or in manifest
error. 25 Say to them, ‘You will
not be called to account for our
sins and we shall not be called to
account for what you do.’ 26 Tell
them, ‘Our Lord will gather us
together; then He will judge
between us with truth and justice.
He is the Just Decider, the All
Knowing.’ 27 Say to them, ‘Show
me those whom you have joined
with Him as partners. No indeed!
For He alone is God, the Mighty
One, the Wise One.’28 We have sent you as a bearer
of glad tidings and a warner
for the whole of mankind,
but most people have no
knowledge. 29 They ask, ‘When
will this promise be fulfilled,
if you are truthful?’ 30 Say,
‘A Day has already been
appointed for you which you can
325 Sheba 34:30
neither delay nor advance by a
single moment.’31 Those who deny the truth
say, ‘We shall believe neither in
this scripture nor in [any] that
[came] before it.’ Could you but
see when the wrongdoers will be
made to stand before their Lord,
casting blame on one another!
Those who had been weak will
say to the arrogant ones, ‘Had it
not been for you, we should
certainly have been believers!’32 The haughty ones will then
reply to the weak ones, ‘Did we
keep you away from the guidance
when it came to you? Indeed not.
You yourselves were the guilty
ones.’ 33 Those deemed weak will
say to those deemed great, ‘No,
it was your scheming night and
day when you commanded us to
reject God and assign equals to
Him.’ But they will show their
remorse when they see the
punishment. We will put iron
collars round the necks of those
who had been bent on denying
the truth. They will be requited
only in proportion to their
misdeeds.
34 For it has been thus
whenever We sent a warner to
any community. Its affluent ones
said, ‘We reject what you have
been sent with.’ 35 They say, ‘We
have more wealth and children;
and we are surely not going to be
punished.’ 36 Say to them, ‘My
Lord increases the provision for
whoever He pleases and
decreases it for whoever He
pleases; but most people do not
know it.’ 37 It is not your wealth
or your children that will confer
on you nearness to Us. It is those
who believe and act righteously
who will be doubly rewarded for
their good deeds, and will dwell
in peace in the high pavilions [of
paradise], 38 while those who
strive to thwart Our messages,
seeking to defeat their purpose,
shall be summoned to
punishment. 39 Say to them, ‘It is
my Lord who increases the
provision for such of His servants
as He pleases, and decreases it
for such of them as He pleases.
Whatever you spend, He will
recompense you for it. He is the
best of providers.’
34:31 Saba’ 326
40 On the Day when He gathers
them all together, He will ask the
angels, ‘Was it you that these
people worshipped?’ 41 They will
say, ‘Glory be to You! You are
our protector, not them. Indeed
no! They worshipped the jinn; it
was in them that most of them
believed.’ 42 Today you possess
no power to benefit or harm one
another. We shall say to the
wrongdoers, ‘Suffer the
punishment of the Fire that you
persistently denied.’43 Whenever Our messages are
conveyed to them in all their
clarity, they say, ‘This
[Muhammad] is nothing but a
man who wants to turn you away
from what your forefathers
worshipped.’ And they say, ‘This
[Quran] is nothing but an
invented falsehood.’ And they
who are bent on denying the
truth speak thus of the truth
when it comes to them, ‘This is
clearly nothing but plain sorcery!’44 We had not given them books
to study, nor have We sent them
a warner before you. 45 Their
predecessors also rejected the
truth. These have not attained to
one tenth of the power that We
had bestowed upon the earlier
people. But they rejected My
messengers. Then how terrible,
was My chastisement!46 Say to them, ‘I exhort you to
do one thing: and that is to stand
up before God in pairs, or singly,
and then reflect. You will thus
realize that your companion is
not afflicted with madness. He is
only a warner, warning you of an
impending severe chastisement.’47 Say, ‘If I have asked you for
any recompense, you can keep it.
It is God alone who will reward
me: He is the witness of all things.’48 Say to them, ‘My Lord hurls
forth the Truth [at falsehood]
and He is the knower of hidden
things.’ 49 Say to them, ‘The Truth
has come and will endure.
Falsehood has no power to
originate any good, nor to
reproduce it.’ 50 Affirm, ‘If I am
in error, I shall carry the burden
thereof; and if I am rightly guided,
it is because of what my Lord has
revealed to me. Truly, He is all-
hearing and near at hand.’
327 Sheba 34:50
51 If you could only see when
those who denied the truth are
terrified, and there is no way out,
and they are seized from a place
nearby; 52 then they will say, ‘We
now believe in Him.’ But how
will they attain to faith, having
gone so far away from it? 53 They
had rejected it before, while they
indulged in conjectures from far
away. 54 And between them
and their desires a barrier shall
be placed as was done in the
past with people of their
ilk; for they were indeed in
disquieting doubt.
35 . T H E C R E ATO R ( FAT I R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 All praise be to God, Creator of
the heavens and the earth, who
made the angels His messengers,
with wings—two, or three, or
four pairs. He adds to His creation
whatever He wills; for God has
the power to will anything. 2 No
one can withhold the blessings
God bestows upon people, nor
can anyone apart from Him
bestow whatever He withholds:
He is the Almighty, the Wise
One.3 People, remember God’s
favour to you. Is there any creator
other than God who provides for
you from the heavens and the
earth? There is no God save
Him. How then are you turned
away from the truth. 4 If they
reject you, other messengers have
been rejected before you. To
God all affairs will be returned.5 O Men. The promise of God
is true.a Let not the life of this
34:51 Saba’ 328
a Sudden death, the upheaval of
earthquakes and other such incidents
shake a man’s composure. These, in
fact, remind one of Doomsday, before
its actual occurrence. But, Satan
immediately diverts the attention of
the people by saying that these events
have natural causes and are not due to
any divine intervention.
world deceive you, nor let the
Deceiver deceive you about God.6 Surely Satan is your enemy: so
treat him as an enemy: he calls
on his followers only so that they
should become inmates of the
burning Fire. 7 Those who are
bent on denying the truth will
have a severe punishment, while
those who believe and do good
deeds will have forgiveness and
a great reward.8 Is he whose evil deeds are
made alluring to him so that he
looks upon them as good, [equal
to the man who is rightly
guided]? God leaves to stray
whom He wills, and guides
whom He wills. Do not destroy
yourself with grief for them.
God has full knowledge of all
their actions.9 It is God who sends forth the
winds so that they raise up the
clouds. We drive them to a dead
land, and by them bring the earth
to life after its death. Such is the
Resurrection. 10 If anyone seeks
glory, let him know that glory
belongs to God alone. Good
words ascend to Him and
righteous deeds are exalted by
Him. Those who plot evil deeds
shall be sternly punished and
their plotting will come to
nothing. 11 God has created you
from dust, then from a drop of
semen and then divided you into
pairs; no female conceives or
gives birth without His
knowledge; and no one’s life is
prolonged or shortened, but it is
recorded in a Book. That surely
is easy for God.12 The two seas are not alike.
The one is sweet, thirst-
quenching, and pleasant to drink
from, while the other is salty and
bitter. Yet from each you eat
fresh fish and extract ornaments
to wear, and in each you see the
ships ploughing through the
waves so that you may seek His
bounty and so that you may feel
thankful. 13 He makes the night
pass into the day and He makes
the day pass into the night. He
has subjected the sun and the
moon, each running for an
appointed term. Such is God,
your Lord: His is the kingdom.
Those whom you invoke besides
329 The Creator 35:13
Him do not own so much as the
skin of a date stone; 14 if you
invoke them, they do not hear
your call; and even if they could
hear, they would not respond to
you. And on the Day of
Resurrection they will disown
your having associated them with
God. No one can tell you [the
Truth] like the One who is all
knowing.15 O men! It is you who stand
in need of God—God is self-
sufficient, and praiseworthy—16 if He so wished, He could take
you away and replace you with a
new creation; 17 that is not
difficult for God. 18 No burden-
bearer shall bear another’s
burden, and if some over-laden
soul should call out for someone
else to carry his load, not the
least portion of it will be borne
for him, even though he were a
near relative. You can only warn
those who fear their Lord in the
unseen, and pray regularly.
Anyone who purifies himself
will benefit greatly from doing
so. To God all shall return.19 The blind and the sighted
are not equal, 20 nor are the
darkness and the light; 21 shade
and heat are not alike, 22 nor are
the living and the dead. God
causes whom He will to hear
Him, but you cannot make those
who are in their graves hear you.23 You are but a warner—24 We
have sent you with the truth as a
bearer of good news and a
warner—there is no community
to which a warner has not come.25 If they reject you, so did their
predecessors. Messengers came
to them with clear signs, with
scriptures, and with the
enlightening Book, 26 but in the
end I seized those who were bent
on denying the truth and how
terrible was My punishment.27 Did you not see how God
sent down water from the sky
with which We bring forth fruit
of diverse colours. In the
mountains there are streaks of
various shades of white and red,
and jet-black rocks; 28 in like
manner, men, beasts, and cattle
have their diverse hues too. Only
those of His servants, who
possess knowledge, fear God.
35:14 Fatir 330
God is almighty and most
forgiving.29 Those who read the Book of
God and attend to their prayers
and spend in charity in private
and in public out of what We
have provided them, may hope
for a commerce that suffers no
loss. 30 He will give them their
full rewards and give them more
out of His bounty. He is forgiving
and appreciative. 31 The Book
which We have revealed to you
is the truth confirming previous
scriptures. God knows and
observes His servants.32 We have bestowed the Book
on those of Our servants whom
We have chosen. Some wrong
their own souls, some keep half-
way [between right and wrong];
some, by God’s leave, excel
others in good deeds. This is a
great bounty of God: 33 they
shall enter the Gardens of
Eternity, where they shall be
adorned with bracelets of gold
and pearls, and wear silk
garments. 34 They will say,
‘Praise be to God who has taken
away all sorrow from us.
Our Lord is forgiving and
appreciative. 35 Through His
grace He has admitted us to the
everlasting Abode, where neither
toil nor weariness affects us.’36 Those who deny the truth
shall remain in the fire of Hell.
Death will not be decreed for
them, so that they could escape
by way of death, nor will its
torment ever be eased for them.
Thus do We requite every
ungrateful person. 37 There they
will cry out, ‘Lord, take us out!
We shall do good deeds, and
behave differently from the way
we used to.’ But He will answer,
‘Did We not make your life long
enough to take warning if you
were going to? The warner did
come to you. So now have a taste
of the punishment.’ Wrongdoers
will have no supporter.38 God knows the hidden
reality of the heavens and the
earth. He has full knowledge of
what is in the hearts of men; 39 it
is He who has made you inherit
the earth. He who denies Him
shall bear the burden of his
denial. God’s displeasure with
331 The Creator 35:39
the deniers will only be increased
by their denial of the truth, it will
only increase their loss.a
40 Say, ‘Have you ever
considered your associate gods
whom you call on besides God?
Show me what it is that they
have created on earth. Or have
they a share in the creation of the
heavens?’ Or have We given
them a book so that they may act
on evidence from it? Indeed, the
wrongdoers’ promises to one
another are nothing but deception.41 Surely, God holds the heavens
and the earth, lest they should
deviate [from their orbits]. Were
they to deviate, none could hold
them after Him. Surely, He is
forbearing and most forgiving.42 They swore their most
solemn oaths that if a warner
should ever come to them, they
would be better guided than any
other community. But when a
warner did come to them, it only
increased their aversion, 43 and
they behaved arrogantly in the
land and plotted evil. But the
plotting of evil only rebounds on
those who plot. Are they but
looking for the way the previous
peoples [sinners] were dealt
with? You will never find any
change in the ways of God; nor
will you ever find God’s decree
averted. 44 Have they not travelled
around the earth and seen the fate
of those who preceded them?
And they were far superior to
them in strength. Nothing in the
heavens or the earth can ever
frustrate God’s [plans]. He is all-
knowing and all powerful.45 If God were to take men to
task for their misdeeds, He would
not leave a single living creature
on the surface of the earth; but
He grants them respite until an
appointed time; and when their
appointed time comes, then they
will know that God is indeed
observant of all His servants.
35:40 Fatir 332
a In this verse, being given ‘the earth
to inherit’ (khalifah) means that ‘after
the advent of the previous nations,
you were settled on the earth in their
place’. It is the way of Almighty God
that He allows a nation the opportunity
to settle and make progress on the earth.
Then, when it proves itself incapable,
He replaces it by another nation.
(333)
3 6 . YA S IN ( YA S I N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Ya Sin
2 By the Quran, full of wisdom,3 you are indeed one of the
messengers 4 on a straight path,5 with a revelation sent down by
the Mighty One, the Merciful,6 so that you may warn a people
whose fathers were not warned
and so they are unaware.7 The word has been proved
true against the greater part of
them: they will not believe. 8 We
have put yokes round their necks
right up to their chins, so that
they cannot bow their heads 9 and
We have set a barrier before
them and a barrier behind them,
and We have covered them up so
that they cannot see. 10 It makes
no difference to them whether
you warn them or do not warn
them: they will not believe.11 You can warn only those who
would follow the Reminder
and fear the Gracious God,
unseen. Give them the good
news of forgiveness and a noble
reward.12 We shall surely bring the
dead back to life and We record
what they send ahead and what
they leave behind. We have
recorded everything in a clear
book.13 Recount to them the example
of the people to whose town Our
messengers came. 14 When We
sent them two messengers, they
rejected them both, so We
strengthened them with a third.
They said, ‘Truly, we have
been sent to you [by God] as
messengers.’ 15 They replied,
‘You are nothing but mortal men
like us and the Merciful God has
not revealed anything. You are
surely lying.’ 16 They said, ‘Our
Lord knows that we have been
sent to you. 17 And our duty is
only to convey the message to
you clearly,’ 18 but they answered,
‘We see an evil omen in you. If
you do not stop, we shall certainly
stone you, and you will suffer a
painful punishment at our hands.’19 They said, ‘Your evil augury
be with you! Is it because you are
admonished about the truth?
Surely, you are a people
transgressing all bounds!’20 Then, from the furthest part
of the city, a man came running.
He said, ‘My people, follow the
messengers. 21 Follow those who
ask no recompense of you and
are rightly guided.22 ‘Why should I not worship
Him who has brought me into
being, and to whom you shall all
be recalled? 23 Shall I take others
besides Him as gods? If the
Gracious God should intend me
any harm, their intercession will
be of no avail, nor can they
deliver me. 24 In that case I should
indeed be in manifest error.25 Indeed, I have believed in your
Lord, so listen to me.’ 26 We said
to him, ‘Enter paradise,’ and he
exclaimed: ‘Would that my
people knew 27 how my Lord has
forgiven me and placed me
among the honoured ones!’28 After him We did not send
down against his people a host
from heaven, nor do We send
down such hosts: 29 it was but
one great blast and they fell
down lifeless. 30 Alas for human
beings! They ridicule every
messenger that comes to them.31 Do they not see how many
generations We have destroyed
before them? Never shall they
return to them. 32 All of them,
gathered together, will certainly
be brought before Us.33 There is a sign for them in
the lifeless earth. We revive it
and We produce grain from it of
which they eat. 34 We have placed
in it gardens of date palms and
vines, and caused springs to gush
[forth] from it, 35 so that they
may eat its fruit, though it was
not their hands that made this.
Will they not then be grateful?36 Holy is He who created all
things in pairs; of what the earth
grows, and of themselves, and
other things which they do not
know.37 They have a sign in the
night: We withdraw from it the
[light of] day—and they are left
36:19 Ya Sin 334
in darkness. 38 The sun, too,
follows its determined course
laid down for it by the Almighty,
the All Knowing. 39 We have
ordained phases for the moon
until finally it becomes like an
old date-stalk. 40 The sun cannot
overtake the moon, nor can the
night outpace the day: each floats
in [its own] orbit.41 Another sign for them is
that We carried their offspring in
the laden Ark. 42 We have created
for them the like of it in which
they ride. 43 If it were Our will,
We could drown them: then there
would be no helper [to hear their
cry], nor could they be saved.44 It is only by Our mercy that
they are granted provision for a
time.45 When they are told, ‘guard
yourselves against what is before
you and what is behind you, in
order that you may be shown
mercy,’ [they turn away].46 Indeed, not one of your Lord’s
signs comes to them without
their turning away from it, 47 and
when they are told, ‘Give to
others out of what God has
provided for you,’ those who are
bent on denying the truth say to
the believers, ‘Why should we
feed those whom God could
feed if He wanted? You are
clearly in error!’48 They say, ‘When will this
promise be fulfilled, if you are
truthful?’ 49 They must be waiting
for but one single blast, which
will overtake them while they
are still disputing. 50 They will
have no time to make a will, nor
shall they return to their own
people. 51 The trumpet will be
blown and, at once, they will rise
up from their graves, and hasten
to their Lord. 52 ‘Woe betide us!’
they will say, ‘Who has roused
us from our sleep?’ This is what
the Lord of Mercy promised: the
messengers spoke the truth! 53 It
will be but one blast, and they
will all be brought before Us
together.54 On that Day no soul shall
suffer the least injustice. You
shall be rewarded only according
to your deeds. 55 The people of
Paradise shall be happily
occupied on that Day—56 they
335 Ya Sin 36:56
and their wives—shall recline
on couches in the shade. 57 They
shall have fruits therein, and all
that they ask for. 58 ‘Peace!’
shall be the greeting from the
Merciful Lord.59 [And God will say],
‘Separate yourselves from the
righteous this Day, you criminals.60 Did I not enjoin you, sons of
Adam, not to worship Satan—
for he is your sworn enemy,61 but to worship Me? Surely,
that is a straight path. 62 Yet he
led astray a great multitude of
you. Why did you not then
understand? 63 This is the Hell
you were promised. 64 Enter it
this Day on account of your
denial of the truth.’ 65 Today We
shall seal up their mouths and
their hands will speak to Us, and
their feet will bear witness to
their misdeeds.66 If it had been Our will, We
could have put out their eyes.
They would have struggled to
find the way, but how could they
have seen it? 67 If it had been Our
will, We could have paralysed
them where they stood, so that
they would not be able to go
forward or turn back. 68 If We
extend anyone’s life, We reverse
his development. Can they not
use their reason? 69 We have not
taught him any poetry nor would
it be fitting for him. This is
merely a Reminder and a clear
Quran 70 to warn all who are truly
alive, and to justify the word
[God’s verdict] against the deniers.71 Do they not see that, among
the things which Our hands have
fashioned, We have created for
them cattle of which they are the
masters, 72 We have subjected
these to them, so that some may
be used for riding and some for
food, 73 some for milk to drink
and some from which other
benefits may be received? Will
they not be grateful? 74 They
have set up other gods besides
God, hoping to be helped by
them, 75 but they are not able to
help them: rather they will be
brought before God as their allied
host. 76 Let not their words grieve
you. We have knowledge of all
that they conceal and all that
they reveal.
36:57 Ya Sin 336
77 Does not man see that
We created him from a drop.
Yet there he is, flagrantly
contentious, 78 producing
arguments against Us, and
forgetting his own creation. He
asks, ‘Who can give life back to
bones after they have rotted
away?’ 79 Say, ‘He who brought
them into being in the first
instance will give them life again:
He has knowledge of every type
of creation: 80 He who produces
fire for you from green trees and
from this you kindle fire.’ 81 Is
He who created the heavens and
earth not able to create others
like these people? Of course He
is! He is indeed the Supreme
Creator, the All Knowing:82 when He decrees a thing, He
need only say, ‘Be!’ and it is.83 So glory be to Him who has
control over all things. It is to
Him that you will all be brought
back.
3 7 . T H E R A N K S ( A L - S A F FAT )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By those [angels] who range
themselves in close ranks 2 and
those who drive away [the
wicked] with reproof 3 and by
the reciters of the Reminder:4 your God is One, 5 Lord of the
heavens and the earth and
everything between them; Lord
of the Easts.6 We have adorned the lowest
heaven with the beauty of the
planets; 7 and guarded it against
all rebellious devils: 8 they cannot
overhear the Higher Assembly
for they are pelted from every
side, 9 driven away, and will
suffer eternal punishment. 10 But
if anyone does succeed in
snatching a glimpse [of such
knowledge], he shall be pursued
by a piercing flame.11 So, ask those who deny the
truth if it was harder to create
them than all the other things We
have created? We created them
from sticky clay. 12 No wonder
337 The Ranks 37:12
you are surprised as they laugh
with scorn. 13 When they are
reminded, they do not pay heed,14 and whenever they see some
sign, they ridicule it, 15 saying,
‘This is plain sorcery!’ 16 ‘What!
When we have died and become
dust and bones, will we be
brought back to life again,17 along with our forefathers?’18 Say, ‘Yes indeed, and you will
be brought low.’19 There will be but a single
blast and then their eyes will
open. 20 They will say, ‘Woe to
us! This is the Day of Reckoning.’21 [It will be said], ‘This is the
Day of Judgement which you
have been denying.’ 22 But We
shall say, ‘Assemble those who
did wrong together with their
associates and what they
worshipped 23 besides God, and
lead them to the path of the Fire;24 and stop them there for
questioning: 25 “But what is the
matter with you that you cannot
help one another?”’—26 indeed,
on that Day they will surrender
themselves.27 They will turn upon one
another, and question one
another. 28 They will say, ‘You
used to come at us from the
right.’ 29 They will say, ‘No! It
was you who would not
believe—30 we had no power
over you; but you yourselves
were a rebellious people. 31 But
now our Lord’s word has come
true against us: truly, we are
bound to taste [the punishment].32 We led you astray as we were
ourselves astray.’ 33 On that Day
they will all share the
punishment: 34 that is how We
deal with evil-doers. 35 When
they were told, ‘There is no deity
but God,’ they turned away with
disdain, 36 and replied, ‘Shall we
then give up our deities at the
bidding of a mad poet?’37 ‘Surely, he has brought the
truth, confirming those who were
sent before; 38 you shall surely
taste the painful punishment,39 and be rewarded only
according to your deeds.’40 But the chosen servants of
God; 41 shall have a known
provision—42 fruits of various
kinds; and they shall be
37:13 Al-Saffat 338
honoured, 43 in the Gardens of
Bliss, 44 seated on couches,
facing one another. 45 A drink
will be passed round among them
from a flowing spring: 46 white
and delicious to those who drink
it, 47 causing no headiness or
intoxication. 48 With them will
be spouses—modest of gaze and
beautiful of eye—49 like closely
guarded pearls.50 They will turn to one another
with questions: 51 one of them
will say, ‘I had a friend, 52 who
used to ask, “Do you really
believe that 53 after we die and
become dust and bones, we shall
be brought to judgement?’’’54 Then he will say, ‘Shall we
look for him?’ 55 Then he will
look and see him in the midst of
the Fire. 56 He will say, ‘By God!
You almost brought me to ruin!57 If it had not been for the
blessing of my Lord, I would
also have been taken to Hell.’58 Then he will say [to his blessed
companions], ‘Are we not going
to die, 59 except for our first
death? Are we not going to be
punished? 60 Truly, this is a great
victory!’ 61 It is for the like of
this that all should strive.62 Is that better by way of
hospitality or the Zaqqum tree,63 which We have made as a test
for the wrongdoers. 64 For it is a
tree that springs out of the bottom
of Hellfire: 65 and its fruits are
like devils’ heads. 66 They will
eat from it and fill their bellies
with it; 67 then in addition to it
they shall have a draught of
boiling water to drink; 68 then
surely they shall return to Hell.69 They found their fathers had
gone astray; 70 so they are rushing
to follow in their footsteps.71 And assuredly many of the
ancients went astray before them,72 though We had sent warners
among them. 73 See how those
who were warned met their end!74 Not so the chosen servants of
God.75 Noah cried to Us, and how
excellent was Our response!76 We saved him and his people
from great distress, 77 and We
made his offspring the only
survivors. 78 We left mention of
him among later generations.
339 The Ranks 37:78
79 Peace be upon Noah among
all the peoples! 80 That is how
We recompense the righteous:81 he was truly one of Our faithful
servants. 82 We drowned the rest.83 Abraham was of the same
faith: 84 he came to his Lord with
a sound heart. 85 ‘Behold!’ he
said to his father and to his
people, ‘What are these that you
worship? 86 Would you serve
false deities instead of God?87 What do you think of the Lord
of the Worlds?’88 He looked up at the stars.
89 And said, ‘I am sick,’ 90 so
they turned their backs on him
and went off. 91 He turned to
their gods and said, ‘Do you not
eat? 92 What is the matter with
you that you do not speak?’93 then he turned on them, striking
them down with his right hand.94 His people came rushing
towards him, 95 but he said, ‘How
can you worship things you carve
with your own hands, 96 when it
is God who has created you and
all your handiwork?’ 97 They
said, ‘Build a pyre for him and
throw him into the blaze!’ 98 They
wanted to harm him, but We
humiliated them all. 99 He said,
‘I will go to my Lord: He is sure
to guide me. 100 Lord, grant me a
righteous son.’ 101 We gave him
the good news that he would
have a patient, forbearing son.102 And when he reached the
age when he could work with
him, he said, ‘O my son, I have
seen in a dream that I am
sacrificing you. So tell me what
you think of it!’ He replied, ‘O
my father, do as you are
commanded; and God willing,
you will find me steadfast.’103 When they had both submitted
to God, and he had laid his son
down on his face, 104 We called
out to him, ‘Abraham, 105 you
have fulfilled the dream.’ It is
thus indeed that We reward those
who do good—106 that surely was
a manifest trial—107 We
ransomed him with a great
sacrifice, 108 and left him thus to
be succeeded by a group [of
followers] among later
generations: 109 ‘Peace and
salutation to Abraham!’ 110 That
is how We recompense the
37:79 Al-Saffat 340
righteous: 111 truly, he was one
of Our faithful servants. 112 We
gave Abraham the good news of
Isaac—a prophet and a righteous
man—113 and blessed him and
Isaac too: some of their offspring
were good, but some clearly
sinned against their souls.114 We also bestowed Our
favour on Moses and Aaron:115 We saved them and their
people from great distress; 116 and
We helped them, so that they
were victorious; 117 and We gave
them the Book which helps to
make things clear; 118 and guided
them to the straight path; 119 and
We left them thus to be succeeded
by a group [of followers] among
later generations: 120 ‘Peace be
upon Moses and Aaron!’ 121 This
is how We reward those who do
good: 122 truly they were among
Our faithful servants.123 Elijah too was one of the
messengers. 124 He said to his
people, ‘Have you no fear [of
God?] 125 Do you call on Baal
and abandon the Best of Creators,126 God your Lord and Lord of
your forefathers?’ 127 but they
rejected him, and thus will
certainly be called to account;128 except the chosen servants of
God. 129 We left him thus to be
succeeded by a group [of
followers] among the following
generations—130 ‘Peace be on
Elijah and his people!’ 131 It is
thus indeed that We reward those
who do good: 132 surely he was
one of Our believing servants.133 Lot was also one of the
messengers. 134 We saved him
and all his people—135 except
for an old woman who stayed
behind—136 and We destroyed
the rest. 137 You pass by their
ruins morning 138 and night: will
you not take heed?139 Jonah too was one of the
messengers. 140 He fled to the
overloaded ship. 141 And then
they cast lots and he was the one
who lost, 142 and the fish
swallowed him while he was
blaming himself. 143 Had he not
been one of those who
acknowledge the glory of God,144 he would certainly have
remained inside the fish till the
Day of Resurrection. 145 But We
341 The Ranks 37:145
caused him to be cast forth on to
the beach, sick as he was, 146 and
We caused a gourd tree to grow
over him. 147 We sent him as a
messenger to a hundred thousand
people or more, 148 and they
believed in him: so We let them
live in ease for a while.149 Now ask them whether your
Lord has daughters, whereas they
have sons. 150 Did We create the
angels females, to which they
were witnesses? 151 No indeed!
It is one of their fabrications
when they say: 152 ‘God has
begotten children.’ They are truly
liars. 153 Has He chosen
daughters over sons? 154 What is
the matter with you? How do
you form your judgement?155 Will you not then reflect?156 Or have you clear evidence?157 Then produce your scriptures,
if you are telling the truth.158 They claim that He has
kinship with the jinn, yet the
jinn themselves know that they
will be produced before Him
[for judgement]. 159 God is far
above what they attribute to
Him—160 but not so the true
servants of God—161 neither you
nor what you worship 162 can
lure away from God any163 except those who will burn in
Hell. 164 [The angels say], ‘Every
single one of us has his place
assigned: 165 we are those who
stand ranged in ranks. 166 We
glorify God.’167 They used to say, 168 ‘If we
had had with us a Book like that
of the people of old, 169 we would
surely have been God’s chosen
servants,’ 170 but they have
rejected it, [the Quran] and they
shall soon learn! 171 And surely
Our word has gone forth
respecting Our servants, the
messengers: 172 that it is certainly
they who will be helped; 173 and
that it is Our host that would
certainly triumph. 174 So turn
away from them for a while.175 Watch them: they will
soon see.176 Do they really wish to
hasten Our punishment?177 When it descends on their
courtyards, how terrible that
morning will be for those who
were warned! 178 So turn away
37:146 Al-Saffat 342
3 8 . SAD ( S A D )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
from them for a while. 179 And
watch, for they will soon see.180 Glory be to your Lord: the
Lord of Glory is far above what
they attribute to Him. 181 Peace
be upon the Messengers 182 and
praise be to God, the Lord of all
the Worlds.
1 Sad
By the Quran, full of admonition!2 Those who deny the truth
are steeped in arrogance
and hostility. 3 How many
generations We have destroyed
before them! And they cried out
when it was too late to escape.4 They are surprised that a
warner should come to them
from among themselves. They
say, ‘This is a magician, a great
liar. 5 Does he make all the deities
out to be one God? This is
indeed a strange thing.’ 6 Their
leaders departed, saying, ‘Walk
away! Hold fast to your deities.
This is clearly a conspiracy. 7 We
have not heard of any such thing
in the old religion. This is nothing
but a fabrication. 8 Was the
message sent only to him out of
all of us?’ In fact, they doubt My
warning; in fact, they have not
yet tasted My punishment.9 Do they possess the treasures
of the mercy of your Lord, the
Mighty, the Great Bestower?10 Have they control over heavens
and earth and whatever [lies]
between them? Then let them
climb up to heaven by ropes:11 this host too, among other
hosts, is bound to suffer defeat.12 Before them the people of
Noah denied the truth, as did the
‘Ad and Pharaoh of the Stakes,13 and the tribe of Thamud, and
the people of Lot, and the
dwellers of the Wood—these
were the confederates. 14 There
was not one of them but treated
their messengers as liars, so My
343 Sad 38:14
punishment rightly overtook
them: 15 they have only to wait
for one single blast [of
punishment]: it shall not be
delayed by one whit. 16 They
say: ‘Our Lord! Hasten on for us
our fate before the Day of
Reckoning.’17 Bear with their words
patiently. Remember Our servant
David, a man of strength who
always turned to Us: 18 We made
the mountains join him in
glorifying Us at sunset and
sunrise; 19 and the birds, too, in
flocks, all turned to Him. 20 We
made his kingdom strong, and
bestowed upon him wisdom and
sagacity in judgement.21 Have you heard the story of
the disputants who entered his
chamber by climbing over the
wall? 22 When they reached
David, he took fright, but they
said, ‘Do not be afraid. We are
two disputants, one of whom has
wronged the other: judge
between us fairly—do not be
unjust—and guide us to the right
path.23 ‘This brother of mine has
ninety-nine ewes and I have only
one. He said, “Let me have charge
of it,” and got the better of me
with his words.’ 24 David said,
‘He has certainly wronged you
by demanding that your ewe be
added to his ewes! Thus many
partners wrong one another—
[all] save those who believe [in
God] and do righteous deeds:
but how few are they!’ And
[suddenly] David understood that
We were only putting him to the
test, and so he asked his Lord to
forgive him his sins; he fell to
his knees, and turned to Him in
repentance. 25 We forgave him
his sins. His reward will be
nearness to Us, a good place to
return to.26 We said, ‘David, We have
given you mastery over the land.
Judge fairly between people. Do
not follow your desires, lest they
divert you from God’s path: those
who wander from His path will
have a severe punishment,
because they ignore the Day of
Reckoning.’27 We did not create heaven
and earth and all that is between
38:15 Sad 344
them in vain. That is the opinion
of those who deny the truth. Woe
betide those who deny the truth,
when they are cast into the Fire—28 shall We treat those who
believe and do good works the
same as those who spread
corruption in the land; shall We
treat the pious the same as the
wicked? 29 This is a blessed Book
which We sent down to you
[Muhammad], for people to
ponder over its messages, and
for those with understanding to
take heed.30 We gave David Solomon.
He was an excellent servant who
always turned to God. 31 When
well-bred horses, which were
fleet of foot were paraded before
him near the close of day, 32 he
said, ‘I have put the love of good
things above the remembrance
of my Lord’—until [the sun]
disappeared behind its veil and
the horses disappeared from
sight—33 ‘Bring them back to
me!’—[he said] and began to
stroke their legs and their necks.34 We tried Solomon by placing
upon his throne a [lifeless] body;
and thereupon he turned towards
Us. 35 He prayed, ‘Lord forgive
me! Grant me such power as no
one after me will have—You are
the Most Generous Provider.’36 Then We subjected the wind
to his power, so that it blew
gently, at his behest, wherever
he willed—37 and also the jinn—
every kind of builder and diver38 and others chained in fetters.39 We said: ‘This is Our gift, so
give or withhold as you wish
without reckoning.’ 40 His reward
will be nearness to Us, a good
place to return to.41 Bring to mind Our servant
Job who cried to his Lord, ‘Satan
has afflicted me with distress
and suffering.’ 42 We said, ‘Stamp
your foot! Here is cool water for
you to wash in and drink,’ 43 We
restored his family to him,
doubling their number as an act
of grace from Us, and as a
reminder to all who are endowed
with insight. 44 We said to Him,
‘Take a handful of twigs in your
hand and strike with that but do
not break your oath.’ We found
him steadfast. What an excellent
345 Sad 38:44
servant! He turned constantly to
his Lord.a
45 Remember Our servants
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—
possessors of strength and vision.46 We chose them for a special
[purpose]—proclaiming the
message of the Hereafter: 47 and,
in Our sight they were indeed
among the select, the truly good!48 Remember [Our servants]
Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhu’l-Kifl.
Each of them was among the
just.49 This is a Reminder. The
righteous shall have a good place
to return to: 50 the Gardens of
eternity with gates thrown wide
open to them. 51 They will be
comfortably seated; reclining,
they will call for abundant fruit
and drink; 52 with them, they
will have pure, modest women
of an equal age. 53 This is what
you were promised on the Day of
Reckoning: 54 Our provision for
you will never be exhausted.55 But the arrogant will have
the worst return: 56 they will burn,
in Hell, an evil resting place—57 all this will be theirs; let them
taste it—a scalding, dark, foul
fluid, 58 and other such torments.59 [And they will say to one
another: ‘Do you see] this crowd
of people rushing headlong to
join you?’ ‘No welcome to them!
Indeed, they are headed for the
fire!’ 60 They will say to them,
‘You are not welcome! It was
you who brought this on us, an
evil place to stay,’ 61 adding,
‘Our Lord, give double
punishment to those who brought
this upon us.’ 62 And they will
say, ‘How is it that we do not see
[here any of the] men whom we
used to count among the wicked,63 [and] whom we made the target
of our derision? Or are they here,
38:45 Sad 346
a Job (Ayyub) was an Israeli prophet
probably some time in the ninth
century B.C. According to the Bible
(Job, 1:20-22), he was initially very
rich. He was blessed with farms, cattle,
houses, children, etc., to such an extent
that it was said that nobody was his
peer in the entire East. In spite of this,
however, Job was a very grateful and
faithful person. His life set an example
of how a person may remain humble
and modest, in spite of being blessed
with great wealth and honour.
and our eyes have missed them?’64 All this is certainly true—the
inhabitants of the Fire will blame
one another in this way.65 Say, [Prophet], ‘I am only a
warner. There is no god but God,
the One, the All-Powerful,66 Lord of the heavens and earth
and everything between them,
the Almighty, the Most
Forgiving.’ 67 Say, ‘This is
momentous news, 68 yet you
ignore it. 69 I had no knowledge
of the Exalted Assembly when
they argued [against the creation
of man]: 70 it has only been
revealed to me that I am a plain
warner.’71 Your Lord said to the angels,
‘I am about to create a human
being out of clay; 72 and when I
have formed him fully and
breathed My spirit into him,
prostrate yourselves before him.’73 Thereupon the angels
prostrated themselves, all of them
together, 74 but not Satan, who
was too proud. He became
one of those who deny the
truth. 75 God said, ‘Satan, what
prevented you from prostrating
yourself to what I created
with My own Hands? Were
you overcome by arrogance, or
are you of those who think [only]
of themselves as exalted?’76 Satan replied, ‘I am better
than him. You created me from
fire, but You created him from
clay.’ 77 ‘Begone! You are
accursed: 78 My curse will remain
upon you till the Day of
Judgement!’79 But Satan said, ‘My Lord,
grant me respite until the Day of
Resurrection,’ 80 so He said, ‘You
are granted respite 81 till the
Appointed Day.’ 82 He said, ‘By
Your Honour, I will lead all of
them astray, 83 except for those
among them who are Your chosen
servants.’ 84 God said, ‘This is
the truth—I speak only the
truth—85 I will fill up Hell with
you and every one of them who
follows you.’86 Say, ‘I do not ask you for
any recompense for this, nor am
I a man of false pretentions:87 this is simply an admonition
to mankind, 88 you shall before
long know its truth.’
347 Sad 38:88
3 9 . T H E C R O W D S ( A L - Z U M A R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 This Book is sent down by God
the Mighty, the Wise. 2 It is We
who sent down the Book to you
[Prophet] with the Truth, so
worship God with your total
devotion: 3 it is to God alone that
sincere obedience is due. And
those who take other guardians
besides Him say, ‘We serve them
only that they may bring us nearer
to God.’ Surely, God will judge
between them concerning that
wherein they differ. God does
not guide anyone who is bent on
lying and is a disbelieving liar.4 If God had willed to take a
son He could have chosen anyone
He pleased out of His creation:
but Glory be to Him! [He is
above such things.] He is God,
the One, the Omnipotent. 5 He
created the heavens and the earth
for a true purpose; He causes the
night to succeed the day and the
day to succeed the night; He has
subjected the sun and moon, so
that they run their courses for an
appointed time; He is truly the
Mighty, the Forgiving.6 He created you from a single
soul, then produced its spouse
from it, and He has provided for
you eight heads of cattle in pairs.
He creates you stage by stage in
your mothers’ wombs in a
threefold darkness. Such is God,
your Lord. Sovereignty is His.
There is no god but Him. So
what has made you turn away?7 If you are ungrateful,
remember that God has no need
of you. He is not pleased by
ingratitude in His servants; if
you are grateful, He is pleased
[to see] it in you. No soul shall
bear another’s burden. You will
return to your Lord in the end
and He will declare to you what
you have done: He knows well
what is in the hearts of men.8 When man suffers some
affliction, he prays to his Lord
and turns to Him in penitence,
but once he has been granted a
(348)
favour from God, he forgets the
One he had been praying to and
sets up rivals to God, to make
others stray from His path. Say,
‘Enjoy your unbelief for a little
while: you will be one of the
inmates of the Fire.’ 9 Is he who
prays devoutly to God in the
hours of the night, prostrating
himself and standing in prayer,
who is ever mindful of the life to
come and hopes for the mercy of
his Lord [like one who does
not]? Say, ‘Are those who know
equal to those who do not know?’
Truly, only those endowed with
understanding will take heed.10 Say, ‘[God says] O My
servants who have believed, fear
your Lord. For those who do
good in this world will have a
good reward—and God’s earth
is spacious. Truly, those who
persevere patiently will be
requited without measure.’11 Say, ‘I have been
commanded to serve God,
dedicating my worship
entirely to Him. 12 I have been
commanded to be the first to
submit.’ 13 Say, ‘I fear, if I disobey
my Lord, the punishment of a
Terrible Day.’ 14 Say, ‘It is God I
serve, sincere in my faith in Him
alone—15 as for yourselves,
worship anything you please
besides Him!’ Say, ‘The real
losers will be those who lose
themselves and all their kith and
kin on the Day of Resurrection.
That is the [most] obvious loss.16 They will have sheets of fire
above them and sheets of fire
beneath them.’ That is how God
puts fear into the hearts of His
servants. Fear me, then, My
servants.17 There is good news for those
who shun the worship of false
deities and turn to God, so give
good news to My servants, 18 who
listen to what is said and follow
what is best in it. These are the
ones God has guided; these are
the people endowed with
understanding.19 But what of him against
whom the sentence of
punishment is justified? Can you
rescue one who is already in the
Fire? 20 But for those who truly
feared their Lord, there will be
349 The Crowds 39:20
tall mansions, built up storey
upon storey, beneath which there
will be rivers flowing. This is
God’s promise: God never fails
in His promise.21 Have you not seen that God
sends down water from the sky,
guides it to form springs in the
earth, and then, with it, brings
forth vegetation of various
colours, which later withers,
turns yellow before your eyes,
and then He makes it crumble
away? There is truly a reminder
in this for those who possess
understanding.a 22 Anyone
whose heart God has opened up
to Islam possesses a light from
his Lord. But woe betide those
whose hearts have been hardened
against the rememberance of
God! Such people are in obvious
error.23 God has sent down the best
Message: a Scripture that is
consimilar and oft-repeated: that
causes the skins of those in awe
of their Lord to creep. Then their
skins and their hearts soften at
the mention of God: such is
God’s guidance. He bestows it
upon whoever He will; but no
one can guide those whom God
leaves to stray.24 What about the one who
will have only his bare face to
protect him from his terrible
punishment on the Day of
Resurrection? The evil-doers will
be told, ‘Taste what you have
earned.’ 25 Those before them
also denied the truth, and the
punishment fell on them from
where they did not expect. 26 God
gave them a taste of humiliation
in the life of this world, but the
punishment of the Hereafter is
greater, if they only knew it.27 We have set forth to men all
39:21 Al-Zumar 350
a The wonderful system of rains on
the earth, the resulting growth of
greenery and the preparations for
harvesting, all these events have
countless meaningful lessons in them.
But, these lessons are available only to
those who by nature go deep into
things. Those who keep their natural
capabilities alive and by utilising them
give deep consideration to the things
of the world, will have their minds
filled with the deep realisation
(ma‘rifah) of God.
kinds of parables in this Quran
so that they may take heed: 28 a
Quran in Arabic, free from any
ambiguity—so that people may
be mindful. 29 God sets forth a
parable: there are two men—one
belonging to many masters, all
disagreeing with one another,
and the other belonging entirely
to one master: are those two
equal in comparison? Praise be
to God! But most of them have
no knowledge. 30 You will die
and they too will die, 31 and, then
on the Day of Resurrection you
shall place your dispute before
your Sustainer.32 Who, then, is more unjust
than he who lies about God and
rejects the truth when it comes to
him? Is not Hell an abode for
those who deny the truth? 33 He
who brings the truth, and he who
testifies to it as such—those are
surely the people who are God-
fearing: 34 they will have
everything they wish for from
their Lord. Such is the reward of
those who do good: 35 God will
efface their worst deeds from
their record and give them their
reward in accordance with the
best of their actions.36 Is God not enough for His
servant? Yet they try to frighten
you with other [deities] besides
Him! For such as God lets go
astray, there will be no guide;37 but he whom God guides
cannot be led astray by anyone.
Is God not mighty and capable
of retribution?38 If you ask them who created
the heavens and the earth, they
will surely reply, ‘God.’ Say,
‘Consider those you invoke
besides Him: if God wished to
harm me, could they undo that
harm? Or if God wished to show
me mercy, could they withhold
that mercy?’ Say, ‘God is
sufficient for me. In Him let the
faithful put their trust.’ 39 Say,
‘My people, do whatever is in
your power—and so will I. Soon
you shall come to know 40 who
will suffer a humiliating torment
and on whom will descend an
everlasting punishment.’ 41 [O
Prophet!] We have sent down to
you the Book for mankind with
the truth. Then whoever adopts
351 The Crowds 39:41
the right way, will do so for his
own soul, and whoever goes
astray, injures his own soul. You
are not their custodian.42 It is God who takes away
men’s souls upon their death and
the souls of the living during
their sleep. Then He withholds
those for whom He has ordained
death and restores the souls of
others for an appointed term.
There are certainly signs in this
for those who reflect.43 Have they taken others for
intercessors besides God? Say,
‘Even though they have no power
nor understanding?’ 44 Say,
‘Intercession is entirely in the
hands of God. He controls the
heavens and the earth; you will
all return to Him.’ 45 When God
alone is named, the hearts of
those who do not believe in the
Hereafter shrink with aversion,
but when others are named
instead of Him, they are filled
with joy. 46 Say, ‘O God!
Originator of the heavens and
earth! Knower of all that is
hidden and all that is manifest,
You will judge between Your
servants regarding their
differences.’ 47 If the wrongdoers
possessed all that is on earth,
and twice as much, they would
offer it to redeem themselves
from the awful suffering on the
Day of Resurrection. For God
will show them what they had
never anticipated, 48 the evil of
their deeds will become apparent
to them, and they will be
overwhelmed by that which they
used to mock.49 When affliction befalls man,
he appeals to Us; but when We
bestow a favour upon him he
says, ‘All this has been given to
me because of my own
knowledge.’ By no means! It is a
trial: yet most of them do not
realize it. 50 Those who preceded
them said the same thing but
they gained nothing from what
they did; 51 the very evil of their
deeds recoiled upon them;
today’s wrongdoers shall also
have the evil of their deeds recoil
upon them: they will never be
able to frustrate [Our plan]. 52 Do
they not know that God grants
abundant sustenance to anyone
39:42 Al-Zumar 352
He wishes and gives sparingly to
anyone He pleases? Surely there
are signs in this for those who
believe. 53 Say, [God says] ‘O
My servants, who have
committed excesses against their
own souls, do not despair of
God’s mercy, for God surely
forgives all sins. He is truly the
Most Forgiving, the Most
Merciful. 54 Turn to your Lord
and submit to Him before His
scourge overtakes you, for then
you shall not be helped.55 Follow the best aspect of
what is sent down to you from
your Lord, before the scourge
comes upon you unawares, 56 lest
anyone should say, “Alas for me,
for having neglected what is due
to God, and having been one of
those who scoffed!” 57 Or, “If
only God had guided me, I would
surely have joined the God-
fearing.” 58 Or, he may say as he
sees the punishment, “Would
that I had a second chance, so
that I could be among the doers
of good.” 59 No indeed! My
revelations did come to you, but
you rejected them: you showed
arrogance, and were among those
who deny the truth.’ 60 On the
Day of Resurrection you will see
those who uttered falsehoods
about God with their faces
blackened. Is there not enough
room in Hell for the arrogant?61 But God will deliver them
who feared Him to their place of
salvation. No evil shall touch
them, nor shall they grieve.62 God is the Creator of all
things, He has charge of
everything; 63 the keys of the
heavens and the earth belong to
Him. Those who deny God’s
revelations will surely be the
losers. 64 Say, ‘Ignorant men!
Would you bid me worship
someone other than God?’ 65 It
has already been revealed to you
and to those who have gone
before you that if you ascribe
any partner to God, all your
works will come to nothing, and
you will surely be among the
losers. 66 Therefore, you should
worship God alone and be among
the thankful.67 No just estimate have they
made of God, such as is due to
353 The Crowds 39:67
Him. But on the Day of
Resurrection, the whole earth
will lie within His grasp, while
heaven will be folded up in His
right hand—Glory be to Him!
Exalted is He above all that they
associate with Him—68 the
Trumpet shall be blown and
whoever is in heaven and whoever
is on earth will fall down in a
swoon, except those who shall
be spared by God. Then the
Trumpet will be blown again and
they shall rise and gaze around
them. 69 The earth will shine
with the light of its Lord, and the
Book will be laid open; the
prophets and witnesses will be
brought in; and judgement will
be passed on them with fairness.
And none shall be wronged.70 Every soul will be repaid in
full for what it has done. He is
fully aware of all that they did.71 Those who rejected the truth
will be led to Hell in throngs.
When they reach it, its gates will
be opened and its keepers will
say to them, ‘Have messengers
not come to you from among
yourselves, who conveyed to you
the revelations of your Lord and
warned you about meeting [Him]
on this Day?’ They will answer,
‘Yes, they did come.’ But the
decree of punishment has proved
true against the deniers of the
truth. 72 They will be told, ‘Enter
the gates of Hell, to stay therein
forever.’ What an evil dwelling
place for the haughty.73 But those who fear their
Lord will be led in groups
towards Paradise. When they
reach it, its gate will be opened,
and its keepers will say to them,
‘Peace be upon you. You have
done well, enter Paradise and
dwell in it forever,’ 74 and they
will say, ‘Praise be to God who
has fulfilled His promise to us
and made us the inheritors of
this land, letting us settle in the
Garden wherever we want.’ How
excellent is the reward of those
who labour! 75 You shall see the
angels circling about the throne,
glorifying their Lord with praise.
And judgement will have been
passed in justice on all and it
will be said, ‘Praise be to God,
Lord of the Universe!’
39:68 Al-Zumar 354
4 0 . T H E F O R G I V E R ( G H A F I R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Ha Mim
2 This Book is revealed by God,
the Almighty, the All Knowing.3 The Forgiver of sin and the
Accepter of repentance, who is
severe in punishment and Infinite
in His Bounty. There is no God
but Him. All shall return to Him.4 Only those who deny the
truth dispute God’s signs. Do
not let their activity in the land
deceive you. 5 The people of
Noah and later factions also
rejected the truth and every
community plotted against the
messenger sent to them, aiming
to lay hands on him, and they
contended [against his message]
with fallacious arguments, so
that they might defeat the truth,
therefore I seized them. How
terrible was My punishment.6 Thus has the word of your Lord
come true against the deniers;
they shall be the inmates of the
Fire.
7 Those who bear the Throne,
and those who are around it,
glorify their Lord with His praise,
and believe in Him. They ask
forgiveness for those who
believe, saying, ‘Our Lord, You
embrace all things in mercy and
knowledge. Forgive those who
turn to You and follow Your
path. Save them from the
punishment of Hell 8 and admit
them, Lord, to the Eternal Garden
You have promised to them,
together with their righteous
ancestors, spouses, and
offspring: You alone are the
Almighty; the All Wise. 9 Protect
them from all evil deeds: those
You protect from [the
punishment for] evil deeds will
receive Your mercy—that is the
supreme success.’10 Those who deny the truth
will be told, ‘God’s abhorrence
of you is greater than your hatred
of yourselves. You were called
to the faith but you denied it.’
(355)
11 They will say, ‘Our Lord!
Twice You have made us die,
and twice You have given us
life! Now we have confessed our
sins: is there any way out [of
this]?’ 12 [They will be told],
‘This is because when God alone
was invoked you denied the truth,
yet when others were associated
with Him you believed in them.’
Judgement rests with God, the
Most High, the Most Great.13 It is He who shows you His
signs, and sends down provision
for you from heaven; but none
pays heed except the repentant.14 Therefore call upon God,
making faith pure for Him, averse
as the deniers of the truth may be
to it: 15 Exalted and throned on
high, He lets the Spirit descend
at His behest upon whichever of
His servants He will, so that he
may warn of the Day of Meeting,16 the Day when they shall rise
up [from their graves] and
nothing about them will be
hidden from God. ‘To whom
shall the kingdom belong that
Day?’ It shall belong to God, the
One, the All Powerful. 17 That
Day every soul shall be requited
for what it has earned. On that
Day none shall be wronged. And
God is swift in reckoning.18 [O Prophet] forewarn them
of the approaching Day, when
hearts will leap up to the throats
and choke them; when the
wrongdoers will have no friend,
nor any intercessor who will be
listened to, 19 [for] He is aware
of the [most] stealthy glance,
and of all that the hearts conceal.20 God will judge with [justice
and] truth: but those whom they
invoke besides Him, have no
power to judge at all. Surely,
God is all hearing, all seeing.21 Have they not travelled
through the land and seen what
was the end of those who have
gone before them? They were
stronger than them and made a
more impressive mark upon the
land, yet God destroyed them for
their sins—they had no one to
defend them against Him—22 that was because their
messengers came to them with
clear signs but they rejected
them. So God seized them:
40:11 Ghafir 356
He is powerful, severe in
punishment.23 We sent Moses with Our
signs and clear authority 24 to
Pharaoh, Haman and Korah. But
they said, ‘A magician, a liar.’25 When he came to them with
the truth from Us, they said,
‘Slay the sons of those who
believe with him and spare only
their daughters’—the schemes
of those who denied the truth
were futile.26 Pharaoh said, ‘Let me kill
Moses—let him call upon his
Lord—I fear that he may cause
you to change your religion, or
that he may cause disorder in the
land.’ 27 Moses replied, ‘I seek
refuge with my Lord and your
Lord from every arrogant person
who does not believe in the Day
of Reckoning.’28 A believer, a man from
among the people of Pharaoh,
who had concealed his faith,
said, ‘Would you slay a man
merely because he says, “My
Lord is God.” He has brought
you clear signs from your Lord,
and if he is lying, the sin of his
will be on his own head; but if he
is truthful, a part of that of which
he warns you will surely befall
you. Certainly, God does not
guide one who is a transgressor
and a liar. 29 My people! Yours is
the kingdom today, you have
dominion in the land; but who
will help us against the scourge
of God if it befalls us?’ But
Pharaoh said, ‘I point out to you
only that which I consider right;
and I guide you to the right
path.’30 The believer said, ‘My
people! I fear for you a fate like
that of the people of old: 31 like
the fate of the people of Noah,
‘Ad, Thamud, and those who
came after them—God never
wills injustice on His creatures.32 My people, I fear for you the
Day you will cry out to one
another, 33 the Day when you
will [wish to] turn your backs
and flee, having none to defend
you against God: for he whom
God lets go astray can never find
any guide.34 Joseph came to you before
with clear signs, but you never
357 The Forgiver 40:34
ceased to doubt the message he
brought you. When he died, you
said, “God will not send another
messenger.’’’ In this way God
leaves the transgressors and
doubters to go astray—35 those
who dispute God’s revelations
without any authority are doing
something that is greatly
abhorrent to God and to the
believers. That is how God seals
up the heart of every arrogant
oppressor.36 Pharaoh said, ‘O Haman,
build for me a lofty building so
that I may gain access 37 to the
heavens, so that I may look upon
the God of Moses: I am
convinced that he is a liar!’ That
is how Pharaoh’s evil actions
were made to look fair in the
eyes of Pharoah, and he was
turned away from the path [of
truth]. Pharaoh’s scheming led
to nothing but ruin.38 The believer said, ‘My
people, follow me! I will guide
you to the right path. 39 O my
people, the life of this world is
only a temporary provision; and
the Hereafter is the permanent
abode. 40 Whoever does evil will
be requited with evil; but
whoever does good, whether
male or female, and is a believer,
will enter the Garden; where
they will be provided for without
measure. 41 My people! How is it
that I call you to salvation, while
you call me to the Fire? 42 You
call upon me to deny God and to
serve other deities about which I
have no knowledge, while I call
you to the Almighty, the Forgiver.43 Surely that to which you call
me has no say in this world or in
the life to come, that our return
is to God alone, and that the
transgressors shall be the inmates
of the Fire. 44 Soon you will
remember what I say to you! I
shall entrust my affair to God,
for God is observant of all [His]
servants.’45 Thus, God delivered him
from the evils which they plotted,
and the companions of Pharaoh
themselves were encompassed
by a dreadful scourge; 46 they
will be brought before the Fire
morning and evening. On the
Day the Hour comes, [a voice
40:35 Ghafir 358
will cry], ‘Mete out to Pharaoh’s
people the harshest punishment!’47 When they dispute with one
another in the Fire, the weak will
say to those who deemed
themselves mighty, ‘We were
your followers; will you then
relieve us of some of the Fire?’48 But those who had been
arrogant will say, ‘We are all in
this together. God has judged
between His servants.’ 49 Those
in the Fire will say to its keepers,
‘Implore your Lord to relieve
our torment for one day,’ 50 but
they will say, ‘Did not your
messengers come to you with
clear signs?’ They will say, ‘Yes.’
The keepers will say, ‘Then pray
[for help] yourselves.’ But the
prayer of those who deny the
truth is of no avail.51 Most surely We help our
messengers, and those who
believe, in the life of this world
and on the Day when all the
witnesses will stand up. 52 The
Day when their excuses will be
of no avail to the wrongdoers,
the curse shall be their lot and
they will have the most evil
abode. 53 We gave Moses Our
guidance, and made the Children
of Israel the inheritors of the
Book—54 a guide and an
admonition to men of
understanding. 55 So be patient,
for what God has promised is
sure to come. Ask forgiveness
for your sins; praise your Lord
morning and evening.56 As for those who, with no
authority to do so, dispute God’s
messages, there is nothing in
their hearts but a feeling of
greatness which they will never
attain. Seek refuge in God, for
He is the All Hearing, the All
Seeing. 57 Certainly, the creation
of the heavens and the earth is
greater than the creation of
mankind; but most people do not
know this. 58 The blind and the
sighted are not equal, just as
those who believe and do good
works and those who do evil are
not equal: how seldom you
reflect! 59 The Final Hour is sure
to come, without doubt, but most
people do not believe.60 Your Lord has said, ‘Call on
Me, and I will answer your
359 The Forgiver 40:60
prayers.’ But those who are too
arrogant to worship Me will
certainly enter Hell, in disgrace.61 It is God who has given you
the night in which to rest and the
day in which to see. God is truly
bountiful to people, but most
people do not give thanks.62 Such is God, your Lord, the
Creator of all things. There is no
god but He. How then are you
being turned away [from Him]?63 Thus, indeed, those who deny
the signs of God turn away
from Him.64 It is God who has given you
the earth for a resting place and
the heavens for a canopy. He
shaped you, formed you well,
and provided you with good
things. Such is God, your Lord,
so glory be to Him, the Lord of
the Universe. 65 He is the Living
One. There is no deity save Him.
So pray to Him, making religion
pure for Him [only]. Praise be to
God, the Lord of the Universe!66 Say, ‘I have been forbidden
to invoke those whom you invoke
besides God—seeing that clear
signs have come to me from
my Lord; and I have been
commanded to submit to the
Lord of the Universe.’ 67 It is He
who created you from dust, then
from a drop of fluid, then from
a tiny, clinging form, then He
brought you forth as infants,
then He allowed you to reach
maturity, then He let you grow
old—though some of you die
sooner—and reach your
appointed term so that you may
reflect. 68 It is He who gives life
and death, and when He ordains
a thing, He says only, ‘Be!’ and
it is.69 Do you not see how those
who dispute God’s signs, are
turned away from the right
path—70 those who reject the
Book and that with which We
sent Our messengers shall soon
know—71 when, with iron collars
and chains around their necks,
they are dragged 72 into the
boiling water and then are thrown
into the Fire, 73 and then they
will be asked, ‘Where are those
whom you associated [with
God]?’ 74 They will say, ‘They
have been lost to us; nay, we did
40:61 Ghafir 360
not invoke anything before [that
had real existence].’ Thus God
leaves the deniers of the truth to
stray; 75 that is because you
exulted in the land without
justification and because you
behaved insolently. 76 Enter the
gates of Hell to stay therein
forever. The abode of the arrogant
is evil.77 So be patient [Prophet], for
God’s promise is true: whether
We show you part of what We
have promised them in this life,
or cause you to die first, it is to
Us that they will be recalled.78 Before your time We sent
other messengers: of them there
are some whose story We have
related to you, and some whose
story We have not related to you.
It was not [possible] for any
messenger to bring a sign except
by the leave of God: but when
the command of God was issued,
the matter was decided in truth
and justice. There and then, those
who stood on falsehoods
perished.79 It is God who provides
livestock for you, some for riding
and some for your food: 80 you
have other benefits in them too.
You can reach any destination
you wish on them: they carry you
by land, as ships carry you on the
sea. 81 He shows you His signs;
which then of the signs of God
will you deny?82 Have they not travelled in
the land to see the fate of those
who went before them? They
were more numerous and
mightier and left greater traces
of their power on the earth; yet
all that they accomplished was
of no avail to them. 83 When
messengers came to them with
clear signs, they revelled in
whatever knowledge they had,
and so they were engulfed by the
very punishment they mocked:84 but when they saw Our
punishment, they said, ‘We
believe in God—the One God—
and we reject the partners we
used to associate with Him,’85 but believing after seeing Our
punishment did not benefit them
at all: this is the law of God to
deal with His creatures, and thus
the disbelievers were the losers.
361 The Forgiver 40:85
4 1 . R E V E L AT I O N S WELL E X P O U N D E D
( F U S S I L AT )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Ha Mim
2 A revelation from [God], the
Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful—3 a Book whose
revelations are well expounded,
an Arabic Quran for people
who possess knowledge,4 proclaiming good news and a
warning. Yet most of them turn
away and so do not listen. 5 And
they say, ‘Our hearts are encased
against that to which you call us,
and there is a heaviness in our
ears, and there is a barrier
between us, so do as you will
and so shall we.’6 Say, ‘I am only a human
being like yourselves. It has been
revealed to me that your God is
One God. So take the straight
path to Him and ask His
forgiveness.’ Woe to those who
associate others with Him, 7 who
do not pay the zakat, and who
deny the Hereafter. 8 ‘The ones
who believe and perform good
deeds shall have a reward which
will never be withheld from
them.’ a
9 Say, ‘What! Do you indeed
deny Him who created the earth
in two Days [periods] and do
you set up equals with Him? He
is the Lord of the Universe.’10 He placed firm mountains on
the earth, and blessed it. He
measured out its means of
sustenance all in four Days; this
is for those who ask for it. 11 Then
He turned to heaven when it was
vapour and said to it and to the
earth, ‘Come willingly or
unwillingly.’ They both said, ‘We
come willingly,’ 12 and in two
Days He formed seven heavens,
and revealed to each heaven its
functions; and We adorned the
(362)
a ‘So take the straight path to Him’
means ‘keep your worship purely for
God’, i.e. your whole attention should
be directed towards God; the sole
object of your prayers and worship
should be the one and only God.
lower heaven with brilliant lamps
[stars] and guarded it. That is the
decree of the Almighty, the All
Knowing.13 If they turn away, then say,
‘I warn you of a lightning-bolt
like the one which struck the
‘Ad and the Thamud: 14 when
the messengers came to them from
before them and behind them,
saying, “Worship none but God!”
They said, “If our Lord had willed,
He would have sent down angels
[to us]. Therefore, we shall never
believe in your message.”’15 As for the tribe of ‘Ad, they
behaved arrogantly in the land
without any justification and
said, ‘Who is mightier than we
in power?’ Did they not see that
God, who created them, was
mightier than they in power?
Still they continued to deny Our
signs, 16 so We let loose upon
them a raging wind over several
inauspicious days, so that We
might make them taste the
torment of humiliation in the life
of this world, and surely the
torment of the Hereafter will be
more humiliating. They shall
have none to help them. 17 As for
the Thamud We offered them
Our guidance, but they preferred
blindness to guidance. So the
lightning-bolt of the punishment
of humiliation seized them on
account of their misdeeds. 18 We
saved those who had attained to
faith and were God-fearing.19 On the Day that the enemies
of God shall be gathered together
and driven to the Fire, they shall
be formed into groups, and20 when they come close to it,
their ears, eyes and skins will
testify against them for their
misdeeds. 21 And they will ask
their skins, ‘Why did you bear
witness against us?’ and their
skins will reply, ‘God, who gives
speech to all things, has given
speech to us [as well]—it was
He who created you in the first
instance and to Him you are
[now] brought back—22 you
could not hide yourselves from
your ears and your eyes and your
skins to prevent them from
testifying against you, and you
thought that God would never
know much of what you did,
363 Revelations Well Expounded 41:22
23 but these thoughts which you
entertained concerning your
Lord, have brought you to
destruction, and [now] you are
among the utterly lost!’ 24 Even
if they are patient, the Fire will
still be their homes. And if they
pray to be allowed to make
amends, they will not be allowed
to do so.25 We assigned to them
companions who made their
doings appear fair to them. But
the same decree [of punishment]
proved true against them, which
had proved true against nations
of jinn and mankind who passed
away before them. Surely they
were the losers.26 Those who deny the truth
say, ‘Do not listen to this Quran.
Drown it out with noise, so that
you may gain the upper hand.’27 Therefore, We will most
certainly make those who are
bent on denying the truth taste a
severe punishment and We will
most certainly requite them
according to the worst of their
deeds—28 that is the reward of
the enemies of God—the Fire
will be their everlasting home, a
reward for their rejection of Our
revelations.29 Those who deny the truth
will say, ‘Our Lord, show us
those jinn and men who misled
us and we shall trample them
underfoot, so that they may be
among the lowest of the low.’30 As for those who affirm, ‘Our
Lord is God,’ and then remain
steadfast, the angels will descend
on them, saying, ‘Have no fear
and do not grieve. Rejoice in the
[good news of the] Garden that
you have been promised. 31 ‘We
are your companions in this life
and in the Hereafter. Therein you
shall have all that your souls
desire, and therein you shall have
all that you ask for 32 as a rich
provision from One who is ever
forgiving and most merciful.’33 Who speaks better than one
who calls to God and does good
works and says, ‘I am surely of
those who submit’? 34 Good and
evil deeds are not equal. Repel
evil with what is better; then you
will see that one who was once
your enemy has become your
41:23 Fussilat 364
dearest friend, 35 but no one will
be granted such goodness except
those who exercise patience and
self-restraint—no one is granted
it save those who are truly
fortunate. 36 If a prompting from
Satan should stir you, seek refuge
with God: He is the All Hearing
and the All Knowing.37 Among His signs are the
night and the day, and the sun
and the moon. Do not prostrate
yourselves before the sun and the
moon, but prostrate yourselves
before God who created them all,
if it is truly Him that you worship.38 If they grow arrogant,
[remember that] those who are
with your Lord glorify Him night
and day and never grow tired.39 Among His signs is this:
you see the earth dry and barren,
but when We send down on it
water, it stirs and swells: most
surely He who gives it life is the
giver of life to the dead; surely
He has power over all things.40 Those who distort the meaning
of Our message are not concealed
from Us. Who is better—
someone who will be thrown
into the Fire or someone who
will arrive in safety on the Day
of Resurrection? Do as you will,
He sees whatever you do.41 Those who reject the
Reminder [the Quran] when it
comes to them [are the losers]—
truly it is a mighty Book:42 falsehood shall not reach from
before or from behind. It is a
revelation from the Wise, the
One worthy of all praise.43 Nothing is said to you but
what was said indeed to the
messengers before you; surely
your Lord is the Lord of
forgiveness but also the Lord of
painful retribution.44 Had We sent this as a Quran
[in a language] other than Arabic,
they would have said, ‘Why are
its verses not clearly explained?
What! An Arab Prophet, and a
scripture in a foreign tongue?’
Say, ‘It is a guide and a healing
to those who believe; but for
those who do not believe, there
is a deafness in their ears, and a
covering over their eyes: they
are [as it were] being called from
a very distant place.’
365 Revelations Well Expounded 41:44
45 We gave Moses the Book,
but differences were created
concerning it: and had it not
been for a word that had already
gone forth from your Lord, the
matter would have been decided
between them; and certainly they
are in grave doubt about it.46 Whoever does what is just and
right, does so for his own good;
and whoever does evil, does so
to his own detriment: and God is
never in the least unjust to His
creatures.47 He alone has knowledge of
the Hour [of Judgment]. And no
fruit emerges from its husk, nor
does any female become
pregnant or give birth, without
His knowledge. On the Day He
will call out to them, ‘Where are
My associates?’ They will reply,
‘We declare to You that none of
us can bear witness to them:’48 [the deities] they invoked
before will have vanished; they
will know that there is no escape.49 Man never tires of asking
for the good things of life; but if
evil fortune befalls him, he
abandons all hope, giving himself
up to despair. 50 When We give
him a taste of some of Our
mercy, after some adversity has
touched him, he is sure to say,
‘This is my due. I do not think
that the Hour is going to come.
And even if I return to my Lord,
He will surely reward me well.’
But truly We shall tell those who
deny the truth [all] that they did,
and shall make them suffer a
hard punishment.51 When We grant a blessing to
a man, he turns away and draws
aside, but when any evil touches
him, he is full of endless prayers!52 Say to them, ‘Have you
considered, if this Quran is really
from God and you still reject it,
then who could be more astray
than someone who has drifted
far away from the truth?’53 We shall show them Our
signs in the universe and within
themselves, until it becomes clear
to them that this is the Truth. Is
it not enough that your Lord is
the witness of all things? 54 Yet
they still doubt that they will
ever meet their Lord. Surely, He
encompasses all things.
41:45 Fussilat 366
4 2 . M U T U A L C O N S U LTAT I O N
( A L - S H U R A )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful1 Ha Mim 2 ‘Ayn Sin Qaf
3 Thus God, the Powerful, the
Wise, sends revelation to you as
He did to those before you. 4 All
that is in the heavens and earth
belongs to Him: He is the
Exalted, the Almighty. 5 The
heavens are almost split asunder
from above as the angels sing
their Lord’s praise and seek
forgiveness for those on earth.
God is indeed the Most
Forgiving, the Most Merciful.6 And [as for] those who take
protectors besides Him, God is
watching them and you are not a
guardian over them.7 Thus We revealed to you,
this Arabic Quran so that you
may warn the mother of cities
[Makkah] and those around it,
and warn them of the Day of
Gathering which is sure to come:
when some group will be in the
Garden, and some will be in the
Fire.
8 Had God so willed, He could
have made all of them one
community, but He admits into
His mercy whom He wills; and
the wrongdoers have neither
protector, nor helper. 9 Have they
taken for themselves protectors
other than Him? But it is God
who is the real Protector. He
resurrects the dead, and He has
power over all things. 10 In
whatever you may differ, [O
believers] the verdict thereon
rests with God. [Say, therefore],
‘Such is God, my Lord: in Him
I have placed my trust, and to
Him I always turn.’11 Creator of the Heavens and
the Earth, He has made spouses
for you from among yourselves,
as well as pairs of livestock by
means of which He multiplies
His creatures. Nothing can be
compared with Him! He is the
All Hearing, the All Seeing. 12 To
Him belongs the keys of the
heavens and the earth; He gives
(367)
abundantly to whoever He wills
and gives sparingly to whoever
He wills. He has full knowledge
of all things.13 God has ordained for you
the same religion which He
enjoined on Noah, and which
We have revealed to you, and
which We enjoined upon
Abraham and Moses and Jesus,
so that you should remain
steadfast in religion and not
become divided in it. What you
call upon the polytheists to do is
hard for them; God chooses for
Himself whoever He pleases and
guides towards Himself those
who turn to Him.14 They became divided only
after knowledge had reached
them, out of mutual jealousy.
Had it not been for a decree
already passed by your Lord, [to
reprieve them] till a specified
period, the matter would surely
have been decided between them.
Those who inherited the Book
after them are indeed in grave
doubt, amounting to suspicion
about it.15 So call people to that faith
and hold fast to it yourself as you
are commanded, and do not be
led by their desires, but say, ‘I
believe in the Book which God
has sent down, and I am
commanded to do justice
between you: God is our Lord
and your Lord; we are
responsible for what we do and
you are responsible for what you
do. There is no contention
between us and you. God will
gather us together, for to Him we
shall return.’ 16 As for those who
argue about God after He has
been accepted, their arguments
will carry no weight with their
Lord, and His wrath will fall
upon them. Severe punishment
awaits them.17 It is God who has sent down
the Book with the truth and the
scales of justice. What will make
you realize that the Hour might
well have drawn near? 18 Those
who do not believe in it seek to
hasten it, but those who believe
in it dread it, and know it to be
the truth. Those who dispute the
Hour have gone far astray.19 God is most Gracious to His
42:13 Al-Shura 368
creatures: He provides
sustenance for whoever He
wills—for He alone is the
Powerful One, the Almighty.20 To him who desires a harvest
in the life to come, We shall
grant an increase in his harvest;
whereas to him who desires [but]
a harvest in this world, We [may]
give something thereof—but he
will have no share in [the
blessings of] the life to come.21 Do they have associate gods
who have laid down for them a
religion without the permission
of God? Had it not been for
God’s decree on the final
Judgement, the matter would
have been decided between them.
Surely the wrongdoers shall have
a painful punishment. 22 You will
see the wrongdoers fearful of the
consequences of their deeds,
which will be inescapable.
Whereas, those who have
believed and done righteous
deeds, will be in the meadows of
the Garden and shall have
whatever they desire from their
Lord. That will be the supreme
favour. 23 These are the glad
tidings which God gives to His
servants who believe and do
righteous deeds. Say, ‘I do not
ask of you any reward for it,
except [that I am inviting you to
God because of] love of kinship.’
Whoever earns a good deed, We
shall increase its good for him;
God is most forgiving, most
appreciative.24 Do they say, ‘He has
invented a lie about God’? If
God so willed, He could seal
your heart. God wipes out
falsehood and vindicates the truth
by His words. He has full
knowledge of what is in men’s
hearts—25 He accepts repentance
from His servants and pardons
their sins. He knows everything
you do. 26 He responds to those
who believe and do good deeds,
and gives them more of His
bounty; agonizing torment awaits
the deniers of the truth.27 If God were to grant His
abundant provision to [all] His
creatures, they would act
insolently on earth, but He sends
down in due measure whatever
He will, for He is well aware of
369 Mutual Consultation 42:27
His servants and watchful over
them: 28 it is He who sends rain
after they have despaired and
spreads His mercy far and wide.
He is the Protector, Worthy of
All Praise. 29 Among His signs is
the creation of the heavens and
earth and all the living creatures
He has dispersed throughout
them: He has the power to gather
them all together whenever He
will.30 Whatever misfortune befalls
you is of your own doing—God
forgives much—31 you cannot
escape Him anywhere on earth.
You have no protector or helper
other than God.32 Among His signs are the
ships sailing like mountains on
the sea: 33 if He willed, He could
bring the wind to a standstill and
they would lie motionless on the
surface of the sea—truly there are
signs in this for anyone who is
steadfast and grateful—34 or He
may cause them to founder because
of people’s misdeeds—He
pardons many of them—35 those
who dispute Our signs shall learn
that they have no escape.
36 Whatever you have been
given is only a temporary
provision of this life, but that
which is with God is better and
more lasting for those who
believe and put their trust in
their Lord; 37 who refrain from
heinous sins and gross
indecencies; who forgive when
they are angry; 38 who respond to
their Lord and attend to their
prayers; who conduct their affairs
by mutual consultation and spend
out of what We have provided
for them; 39 who, when they are
attacked, defend themselves.40 Let harm be requited by an
equal harm. But whoever pardons
and amends will find his reward
with God. He does not love the
wrongdoers. 41 Those who
defend themselves after they
have been wronged cannot be
held blameworthy, 42 blame falls
only on those who wrong men
and transgress on this earth
without justification—such will
have a painful punishment—43 whoever is patient and
forgiving, acts with great courage
and resolution.
42:28 Al-Shura 370
44 Anyone whom God lets go
astray will thereafter have no
protector whatsoever: you will
see the wrongdoers, when they
face the punishment, exclaiming,
‘Is there no way back?’ 45 You
will see them exposed to the
Fire, abject in humiliation,
glancing furtively at it, while
those who believed will say,
‘The losers are those ones who
have forfeited their souls and
their people on the Day of
Resurrection.’ Truly, the
wrongdoers will remain in
everlasting torment; 46 they will
have no allies to help them
against God; there is no way
[forward] for those whom God
lets go astray.47 Respond to your Lord before
a Day arrives that will not be
averted [against God’s will]. You
will not find any refuge from
God on that Day, nor will you
have [any opportunity] to deny
your sins. 48 Now if they turn
away, We have not sent you [O
Prophet] as their keeper: your
responsibility is only to convey
the message. Man is such that
when We let him taste Our mercy,
he exults in it, but if an evil
befalls him which is his own doing,
he becomes utterly ungrateful.49 God has control of the
heavens and the earth; He creates
whatever He will—He grants
female offspring to whoever He
will, male to whoever He will,50 or both male and female, and He
leaves whoever He will barren; He
is all-knowing and all powerful.51 It is not granted to any human
being that God should speak to
him other than by revelation or
from behind a veil, or by sending
him a messenger, so that the
messenger may reveal, by His
command, whatsoever He will.
Truly, He is exalted and wise.52 We have thus revealed a Spirit
to you [Prophet] by Our command:
you knew neither the Scripture
nor the faith, but We made it a
light, guiding with it whoever
We will of Our servants. You are
indeed guiding to the straight
path, 53 the path of God, to whom
belongs all that is in the heavens
and on the earth. Indeed all
matters return eventually to God.
371 Mutual Consultation 42:53
4 3 . O R N A M E N T S O F G O L D
( A L - Z U K H R U F )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful1 Ha Mim
2 By the Book that makes things
clear, 3 We have made it an Arabic
Quran so that you may
understand. 4 Truly, it is inscribed
in the Original Book, in Our
keeping; it is sublime and full of
wisdom.5 Should We withdraw the
admonition from you because
you are a people far gone in
transgression? 6 We have sent
many a prophet to earlier peoples7 but whenever a prophet came
to them, they mocked him, 8 so
We destroyed those who were
mightier than these; such was
the example of the earlier
peoples.9 If you ask them, ‘Who has
created the heavens and the
earth?’, they will surely answer,
‘The Almighty, the All Knowing
One has created them.’ 10 Who
has made the earth a cradle for
you and made thereon paths for
you so that, hopefully, you may
find your way. 11 It is He who
sends water down from the sky
in due measure—We revive dead
land with it and likewise you
will be resurrected from the
grave—12 it is He who created
all living things in pairs and
gave you ships to sail in and
beasts to ride upon 13 so that you
may sit firmly on their backs.
Then once you have mounted
them, remember your Lord’s
favour and say, ‘Glory be to Him
who has subjected these creatures
to us; we would never on our
own have subdued them. 14 And
to our Lord we shall surely
return.’15 Yet they make some of His
servants partners in His divinity.
Man is clearly ungrateful! 16 Has
He then taken daughters out of
His own creation and chosen
sons for you? 17 When any of
them is given the news of the
very thing [i.e. a female child]
(372)
which he himself has ascribed to
the All Merciful, his face darkens
and he is filled with grief—18 [‘Do you ascribe to God] one
who is brought up among
ornaments and who cannot
produce a cogent argument?’19 They consider the angels—
God’s servants—to be female.
Did they witness their creation?
Their claim will be put on record
and they will be questioned about it.20 They say, ‘If the All Merciful
had so willed, we would not
have worshipped them.’ They
have no knowledge of that. They
are only conjecturing. 21 Have
We given them a Book before
this, to which they are holding
fast? 22 No indeed! They say,
‘We have found our fathers
following a certain course, and
we are guided by their footsteps.’23 Whenever We sent a messenger
before you to warn a township,
the affluent among them said, in
the same way, ‘We saw our
fathers following this tradition;
we are only following in their
footsteps.’ 24 Each messenger
said, ‘What if I should bring you
better guidance than what you
found your forefathers had?’
They replied, ‘We reject any
message you have been sent
with!’ 25 So We wreaked Our
vengeance on them: now see
what was the end of those who
rejected [the Truth]!26 Call to mind when Abraham
said to his father and his people,
‘I disown utterly that which you
worship. 27 [I worship] only Him
who created me, and He will
certainly guide me,’ 28 and he
left these words to endure among
his descendants, so that they
might return [to God]. 29 Yes, I
gave the good things of this life
to these [men] and their fathers,
until the truth came to them, and
a messenger expounding things
clearly, 30 but when the truth
came to them, they said, ‘This is
sorcery, and we reject it.’31 They said, ‘Why was this
Quran not sent down to one of
the great men of the two cities?’32 Is it they who apportion the
mercy of your Lord? It is We
who distribute among them their
livelihood in the life of this
373 Ornaments of Gold 43:32
world, and raise some of them
above others in rank, so that they
may take one another into
service; and the mercy of your
Lord is better than [the wealth]
which they amass. 33 If it were
not that all mankind might have
become one community [of
disbelievers], We could have
given all those who deny the
Lord of Mercy, houses with roofs
of silver, silver staircases to
ascend, 34 and silver doors to
their houses and silver couches
on which to recline, 35 and
ornaments of gold. But all of
these are but the provision of
this present life; it is the life to
come that the Lord reserves for
those who fear Him.36 As for one who turns away
from the remembrance of the
Gracious God, We appoint for
him a devil, who will become his
intimate companion. 37 Devils
divert men from the [right] way,
while they think that they are
rightly guided. 38 When such a
person comes to Us, he will say
[to his comrade], ‘If only you
had been as far away from me as
east is from west. What an evil
comrade!’ 39 It will be said [to
such a person], ‘You have done
wrong. Having partners in
punishment will be of no avail to
you today.’40 Can you [Prophet] make the
deaf hear? Or guide either the
blind or those who are in manifest
error? 41 Even if We take you
away from the world, We shall
surely take vengeance on them42 or We shall show you what We
have promised them; for surely
We have complete power over
them. 43 So, hold fast to the
Book that has been revealed to
you—you are surely on the right
path— 44 it is certainly a reminder
to you and to your people and
you will soon be called to
account. 45 Ask those of Our
messengers whom We sent
before you, ‘Did We ever appoint
gods to be worshipped besides
the Beneficent One?’46 We sent Moses with Our
signs to Pharaoh and his nobles.
He said, ‘I am the messenger of
the Lord of the Universe,’ 47 but
when he came to them with Our
43:33 Al-Zukhruf 374
signs, they ridiculed them,48 even though each sign We
showed them was greater than
the previous one. We afflicted
them with torment so that they
might return [to the right path].49 They said, ‘Sorcerer, call on
your Lord for us, by virtue of His
pledge to you: we shall certainly
accept guidance,’ 50 but when
We relieved them of the torment,
they broke their word.51 Pharaoh called to his people,
‘My people, is the Kingdom of
Egypt not mine? And these rivers
that flow at my feet, are they not
mine? Do you not see? 52 Am I
not better than this contemptible
man who can hardly make his
meaning clear: 53 and why have
not armlets of gold been
bestowed on him and why is
there not a train of angels
accompanying him?’ 54 In this
way he fooled his people and
they obeyed him: they were a
rebellious people. 55 Then when
they provoked Our wrath,
We took revenge on them
and drowned every one of
them. 56 We made them a
precedent, an example for later
peoples.57 When [Jesus] the son of
Mary is held up as an example,
your people raise an outcry on
this, 58 saying, ‘Are our gods
better or him?’—they cite him
only to challenge you: they are a
contentious people—59 but he
was only a servant We favoured
and made an example for the
Children of Israel: 60 if We had
so wished, We could have
appointed angels in exchange
for you to succeed you on the
earth. 61 He is a sign of the Hour.
Have no doubt about it. But
follow me. This is a straight
path; 62 do not let Satan bar your
way. He is truly your sworn
enemy.63 When Jesus came with clear
signs, he said, ‘Now I have come
to you with wisdom, in order to
make clear to you some of the
things about which you dispute:
therefore fear God and obey me.64
For God, He is my Lord and
your Lord: so worship Him: that
is a straight path.’ 65 The various
factions among them differed—
375 Ornaments of Gold 43:65
woe then to those who did wrong:
they will suffer the punishment
of a painful Day.66 Are they merely waiting for
the Hour, which will come upon
them suddenly and take them
unawares? 67 On that Day, friends
will become each other’s
enemies, except the righteous—68 ‘O My servants, you need not
fear this Day, nor shall you
grieve’—69 those who believed
in Our revelations and
surrendered themselves to Us.70 ‘Enter the Garden rejoicing,
both you and your spouses!’71 Dishes and goblets of gold
will be passed around them with
all that their souls desire and
their eyes delight in. ‘There you
will remain forever: 72 this is the
Garden which you will inherit
by virtue of your past deeds,73 and there is abundant fruit in it
for you to eat.’74 As for the evil-doers, they
shall endure forever the torment
of Hell, 75 from which there is no
relief: they will remain there in
utter despair. 76 We have not
wronged them; it was they who
were the wrongdoers. 77 They
will cry, ‘Master, if only your
Lord would put an end to us!’
But he [the angel] will answer,
‘No! You are here to stay.’ 78 We
have certainly brought the truth
to you: but most of you have an
aversion for the truth. 79 Have
they determined upon a course?
Then We too are determined.80 Do they imagine We do not
hear their secret talk and their
private counsels? On the
contrary, Our messengers
[angels] are at their sides,
recording everything.81 Say, ‘If the All Merciful had
a son, I would be the first to
worship him.’ 82 But—exalted
be the Lord of the heavens and
earth, the Lord of the Throne—
He is far above their [false]
descriptions. 83 So leave them
alone to indulge in vain discourse
and amuse themselves until they
come face to face with that Day
which they have been promised.84 It is He who is God in
heaven, and God on earth: He is
the Wise One, the All Knowing;85 blessed be He who has
43:66 Al-Zukhruf 376
sovereignty over the kingdom of
the heavens and the earth and all
that lies between them. He alone
has knowledge of the Hour, and
to Him you shall be returned.86 Those whom they invoke
besides God have no power of
intercession, only those who bear
witness to the truth and they
know. 87 And if you ask them
who created them, they will
surely say, God. How then are
they turned away? 88 The Prophet
has said, ‘Lord! Truly they are a
people who do not believe.’89 Then bear with them [O
Muhammad] and say, ‘Peace.’
They will soon come to know.
4 4 . S M O K E ( A L - D U K H A N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Ha Mim
2 By the Book that makes
things clear, 3 surely We sent it
down on a blessed night—We
have always sent warnings—4 on
that night every wise decree is
specified 5 by Our own
command—We have been
sending messages, 6 as a mercy
from your Lord, He hears all and
knows all, 7 He is the Lord of
heaven and earth and all that is
between them—if only you
would really believe—8 there is
no deity save Him: It is He who
gives both life and death—He is
your Lord, and the Lord of your
forefathers, 9 yet, they toy with
their doubts. 10 Wait, then, for
the Day when the sky brings
forth plainly visible clouds of
smoke. 11 That will envelop the
people. This will be a painful
punishment. 12 Then they will
say, ‘Lord, relieve us from this
torment, for truly we are now
believers in You.’ 13 How can
they benefit from admonition,
seeing that a messenger had
already come to them explaining
things clearly? 14 Then they
turned away from him and said,
‘He is a madman, taught by
377 Smoke 44:14
others!’ 15 Were We to ease the
torment for a while, you would
still revert to denial of the truth.16 On the Day We inflict the
direst scourge upon all sinners,
We will certainly exact
retribution.17 We tried the people of
Pharaoh before them: a noble
messenger was sent to them,18 saying, ‘Hand over God’s
servants to me. I am a trustworthy
messenger for you. 19 Do not set
yourselves above God: I bring
you clear authority. 20 I have
sought refuge with my Lord and
your Lord lest you stone me [to
death]. 21 If you do not believe in
me, at least keep away from me.’22 Then he cried out to his
Lord, ‘These are sinful people.’23 God said, ‘Set out with My
servants by night, for you will
certainly be pursued. 24 Leave
the sea behind you parted; they
are a host destined to be
drowned.’ 25 How many gardens
and fountains they left behind
them, 26 and cornfields and
splendid buildings, 27 and
pleasant things in which they
delighted! 28 Such was their end,
and what had been theirs We
gave to other people to inherit.29 Neither heaven nor earth wept
for them, nor were they allowed
any respite.30 We saved the Children of
Israel from their humiliating
torment 31 at the hands of
Pharaoh: he was a tyrant who
exceeded all bounds. 32 We
knowingly chose them above all
other people 33 and showed
them signs in which there was a
clear test.34 Yet those who deny the truth
say, 35 there is nothing beyond
our first death; we shall not be
raised again. 36 So bring our
fathers [back], if what you say is
true. 37 Are they better than the
people of Tubba‘ and those who
came before them? We destroyed
them, because they were guilty
of sin.38 We did not idly create the
heavens and the earth and all
that lies between them; 39 We did
not create them save with a
purpose, yet most people have
no knowledge of this. 40 Truly,
44:15 Al-Dukhan 378
the Day of Decision is the
appointed time for all of them,41 the Day when no friend shall
be of the least avail to another,
nor shall any be helped, 42 save
those to whom God shows mercy.
Surely, He is the Mighty, the
Merciful One.a
43 Surely the fruit of the
Zaqqum tree 44 shall be food for
the sinners: 45 like the dregs of
oil, it shall boil in their bellies,46 like the boiling of hot water.47 [A voice will cry], ‘Seize him
and drag him into the midst of
Hell. 48 Then pour boiling water
over his head as punishment.49 Taste this; you who considered
yourself the mighty, the
honourable! 50 This is what
you doubted?’51 But those mindful of God
will be in a safe place, 52 among
gardens and springs, 53 dressed
in fine silk and in rich brocade,
and they will face each other:54 so it will be. We shall wed
them to maidens with large, dark
eyes. 55 They will call therein for
every kind of fruit, in peace and
security. 56 They will not taste
death therein, save the first death.
God will save them from the
torment of Hell 57 as an act of
grace. That will be the supreme
triumph.58 We have made this Quran
easy to understand—in your own
language—so that they may take
heed. 59 Wait then; they too
are waiting.
379 Smoke 44:59
a If one ponders over the system of
heaven and earth—indeed, of the entire
universe, it will become clear that its
creation was effected with a definite
purpose. Had this not been so, it
would have been impossible in this
world for man to build up glorious
cultures. Its entire functioning being
meaningful is an indication that it
will end also in a meaningful and
purposeful way. It is unimaginable
that its end could be otherwise. Its
end, in reality, will herald the
commencement of the life Hereafter.
And belief in the Hereafter is but an
extension of universal meaningfulness.
The present stage of the world is that
of trial. So, everyone has his share in
the meaningfulness of this world. But,
in the Hereafter, only those who are
actually deserving in the eyes of God,
will have a share in the meaningfulness
of the afterlife.
4 5 . K N E E L I N G ( A L - J AT H I YA H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Ha Mim
2 This Scripture is sent down
from God, the Mighty and Wise
One. 3 There are signs in the
heavens and the earth for those
who believe: 4 in your own
creation and all the creatures He
has spread about, there are signs
for people of sure faith; 5 and in
the succession of night and day,
and in the means of subsistence
which God sends down from the
skies, giving life thereby to the
earth after it had been lifeless,
and in the circulation of the
winds: [in all this] there are
signs for people who use their
reason. 6 These are God’s
revelations, which We recite to
you in all truth. But if they deny
God and His revelations, in what
message will they believe?7 Woe to every sinful liar! 8 He
hears God’s revelations being
recited to him, yet persists in his
arrogance as if he had never
heard them. Forewarn him of a
painful punishment. 9 When he
learns something of Our
revelations, he derides them: for
such there will be humiliating
torment. 10 In front of them is
Hell; and of no profit to them is
anything they may have earned,
nor any protectors they may have
taken to themselves besides God:
for them there shall be a terrible
punishment. 11 Such is Our
guidance; those who reject their
Lord’s revelations shall suffer a
woeful punishment.12 It is God who has subjected
the sea to you so that you may
sail thereon by His command,
and so that you may seek His
bounty, and so that you may be
grateful. 13 He has subjected
whatever is in heaven and on the
earth to you; it is all from Him.
In that are signs for those who
ponder.14 Tell the believers to ignore
those who do not believe in the
(380)
coming of the days of God. He
will requite people for what they
have done. 15 Whoever does what
is just and right, does so for his
own good; and whoever does
evil, does so to his own detriment,
and you shall all return to your
Lord.16 We gave Scriptures, wisdom
and prophethood to the Children
of Israel, and provided them
with good things and favoured
them over all other people. 17 We
gave them clear arguments in
matters [of religion]. It was only
after knowledge came to them
that they differed among
themselves out of mutual rivalry.
On the Day of Resurrection your
Lord will judge between them
regarding their differences.18 Then We set you on a clear
path [of religion]: so follow it,
and do not yield to the desires of
those who have no knowledge.19 They can be of no avail to you
against God. The wrongdoers
are friends of one another, while
the friend of the righteous is
God. 20 This [Book] brings
enlightenment and guidance to
mankind, and is a blessing for
those who have firm faith.21 Do those who commit evil
deeds imagine that We shall deal
with them in the same way as We
deal with those who have attained
to faith and do righteous deeds,
that they will be alike in their
living and their dying? How
badly they judge! 22 God has
created the heavens and the earth
for a true purpose, so that every
soul may be rewarded for
whatever it has earned, and no
one will be wronged.23 [Prophet], consider the one
who has taken his own desire as
a deity, whom God allows to
stray in the face of knowledge,
sealing his ears and heart and
covering his eyes—who can
guide such a person after God
[has abandoned him]? Will you
not take heed?24 They say, ‘There is nothing
but our life in this world: we die,
we live, nothing but time destroys
us.’ They have no knowledge
of this; they only follow
conjecture. 25 Whenever Our
clear revelations are recited to
381 Kneeling 45:25
them, their only argument is to
say, ‘Bring back to us our
forefathers, if what you say be
true.’ 26 Say, ‘God gives you life,
then causes you to die, and then
will gather you together for the
Day of Resurrection, about which
there is no doubt. But most
people do not know it.’27 To God belongs the kingdom
of the heavens and the earth; on
the Day when the Hour comes,
those who follow falsehood will
be the losers. 28 You will see
every people on their knees, every
people shall be summoned to its
Record [and a voice will say],
‘Today you will be requited for
your deeds. 29 This record of
ours will declare the truth about
you: We have been recording
whatever you have been doing.’30 Those who believed and did
good deeds will be admitted by
their Lord into His mercy—that
shall be the manifest triumph.31 But those who rejected the
truth [will be asked], ‘When My
revelations were recited to you,
were you not arrogant and did
you not persist in wicked deeds?32 When it was said to you,
“God’s promise is true: there is
no doubt about the Hour,” did
you not reply, “We do not know
what the Hour is. We think it to
be nothing but a conjecture, and
we are not convinced”?’33 The evil of their actions will
then become clear to them. The
punishment they mocked will
engulf them. 34 It will be said to
them, ‘This Day We shall forget
you, as you yourselves forgot
that you would meet this Day.
Your abode shall be the Fire,
and you shall have no helpers.35 That is because you made a
mockery of God’s revelations
and were deluded by the life of
this world.’ Therefore, today they
will not be brought out of the
Fire, nor will they be allowed to
make amends.36 Praise, then, be to God, Lord
of the heavens, and Lord of the
earth, the Lord of all the worlds.37All greatness belongs to Him
in the heavens and earth. He is
the Almighty, the All Wise.
45:26 Al-Jathiyah 382
4 6 . T H E S A N D D U N E S (A L - A H Q A F )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Ha Mim
2 This Book is sent down from
God, the Almighty, the Wise
One. 3 We created the heavens
and the earth and all that lies
between them purely for just
ends, and for a specific term, but
those who reject Faith turn away
from what they have been warned
of.4 Say, ‘Have you thought about
those you call upon apart from
God? Show me what they have
created on the earth. Or do they
have a share in the heavens?
Bring me a Book revealed before
this or some other vestige of
knowledge, if you are telling the
truth.’ 5 And who is more
misguided than one who invokes,
besides God, such as will not
answer him until the Day of
Resurrection, and who [in fact]
are not even aware of his call,6 and when mankind are gathered
together, they will become their
enemies, and will deny their
worship?7 And whenever Our clear
revelations are recited to them
and the Truth is brought to them,
those who deny the truth say,
‘This is plain magic.’ 8 Do they
mean to say that the Messenger
himself has fabricated it? Say
[O Muhammad], ‘If I have
fabricated it myself, you will not
be able to do anything to save me
from God. He knows quite well
what talk you indulge in. He is
enough as a witness between me
and you; and He is the Forgiving,
the Merciful One.’9 Say, ‘I am not the first of
God’s messengers, and I do not
know what will be done with me
or with you: I do not follow
anything but what is revealed to
me, and I am merely a plain
warner.’ 10 Say, ‘Have you
thought: what if this Quran really
is from God and you reject it?
What if one of the Children of
(383)
Israel testifies to its similarity to
earlier scripture and believes in
it, and yet you are too arrogant to
do the same? God certainly does
not guide evil-doers.’11 Those who deny the truth
say of the believers, ‘If there
were any good in this Quran,
they would not have believed in
it before we did.’ And since they
refuse to be guided by it, they say,
‘This is an ancient fabrication.’12 Yet the scripture of Moses
was revealed before it as a guide
and a blessing; and this is a Book
in the Arabic language, fulfilling
[previous prophecies], to
forewarn those who do evil and
to bring good news to those who
do good. 13 Surely those who say,
‘Our Lord is God,’ and remain
firm [on that path] shall feel no
fear, nor shall they grieve: 14 it is
they who are the people of Paradise,
they shall abide therein as a reward
for all that they have done.15 We have enjoined on man
kindness to his parents: his
mother bore him, in pain and in
pain she gave birth to him, and
his bearing and weaning takes
thirty months. At length, when
he reaches the age of full maturity
and attains forty years, he says,
‘O my Lord! Help me to be
grateful for Your favours which
You have bestowed upon me,
and upon both my parents, and
to do good deeds that will please
You. Grant me righteousness in
my offspring. Truly, I have turned
to You and, truly, I submit to
You.’ 16 We accept from such
people the best of what they do
and We overlook their bad deeds.
They will be among the people
of Paradise—this is a true
promise that has been given to
them.17 But he who says to his
parents, ‘Shame upon you! Do
you threaten me with being taken
out of the grave after death while
many a generation has passed
away before me and none has
risen from among them?’ The
parents both cry for God’s help
and say to him, ‘Believe! Alas
for you! God’s promise is true.’
But he says, ‘These are nothing
but ancient fables.’ 18 It is against
such as these that the word of
46:11 Al-Ahqaf 384
God has proved true, along with
all the communities that went
before them, jinns and humans:
surely they are losers.19 All will be ranked according
to their deeds. We will requite
them in full for their actions and
they will not be wronged. 20 On
the Day when those who deny
the truth are brought before the
Fire, it will be said to them, ‘You
have had the good things of the
life of this world, and you
enjoyed them. Now this Day you
shall be requited with humiliating
punishment, because you were
arrogant in the land without
justification, and because you
acted rebelliously.’21 Tell of the brother of ‘Ad;
when he warned his people in
the sand dunes—and indeed
warners came and went before
him and after him—saying,
‘Worship none but God; surely I
fear for you the punishment of
an awful Day,’ 22 but they said,
‘Have you come to us to turn us
away from our deities? Then
bring down upon us what you
threaten us with, if you are
truthful.’ 23 He said, ‘God alone
knows when it will come, and I
deliver to you the message with
which I am sent, but I see you are
a people who are ignorant.’24 So, when they saw it in the
shape of a dense cloud
approaching their valleys, they
exclaimed, ‘This is only a heavy
cloud which will bring us
[welcome] rain!’ [But Hud said]:
‘By no means! It is the very thing
which you sought to hasten—a
wind bearing grievous suffering25 which will destroy everything
at its Lord’s behest!’ And in the
morning there was nothing left
to be seen save their [empty]
dwellings: thus We repay the
evil-doers.26 We had empowered them to
an extent which We have not
empowered you, [O people of
later times]; and We had endowed
them with hearing, and sight,
and hearts: but neither their
hearing, nor their sight, nor their
hearts were of the least avail to
them, since they went on
rejecting God’s revelations; and
they were overwhelmed by the
385 The Sand Dunes 46:26
very thing which they had been
wont to deride. 27 We have also
destroyed other towns that once
[flourished] around you—We
had given them various signs so
that they might return [to the
right path]—28 so why did their
gods not help them, those they
set up as gods besides God to
bring them nearer to Him? No
indeed! They failed them utterly:
it was all a lie, a fabrication of
their own making.29 Remember how We sent to
you a band of jinn who wished to
hear the Quran and as they
listened to its recitation, they
said to one another, ‘Be silent
and listen,’ and, then when it
was finished, they went back to
their people, to give them
warning. 30 They said, ‘O our
people, we have heard a Book,
which has been sent down after
Moses, fulfilling the predictions
existing in previous scriptures; it
guides to the truth, and to the
right path. 31 Our people, respond
to the one who calls you to God.
Believe in him! God will forgive
you your sins and protect you
from a painful punishment. 32 But
he who does not respond to
God’s calls can never elude [Him]
on earth, nor can he have any
protector against Him. Such people
have clearly gone far astray.’33 Have they not seen that God,
who created the heavens and the
earth and was not wearied by
their creation, has the power to
bring the dead back to life? Yes,
indeed, He has power over all
things. 34 On the Day when those
who deny the truth will be
brought before the Fire, they
shall be asked, ‘Is this not the
truth?’ They will reply, ‘Yes, by
our Lord.’ He will say, ‘Then
taste the punishment, because of
your denial of the truth.’35 Have patience, then, as had
the steadfast Messengers before
you; and be in no haste about
them. On the Day when they see
what they are threatened with, it
will appear to them as though
they had not tarried longer than
an hour of a day. [Your
responsibility is] to deliver the
message: and none but the
disobedient shall be destroyed.
46:27 Al-Ahqaf 386
4 7 . M U H A M M A D ( M U H A M M A D )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 God will bring to naught all the
good deeds of those who are
bent on denying the truth and bar
[others] from the path of God.2 As for those who believe and
do good deeds and believe in
what has been revealed to
Muhammad—and it is the truth
from their Lord—God will
remove their sins from them and
set their condition right. 3 That is
because the ones who deny the
truth follow falsehood, while
those who believe follow the
Truth from their Lord. Thus God
sets forth comparisons for
mankind.4 When you meet those who
deny the truth in battle, strike
them in the neck,a and once they
are defeated, make [them]
prisoners, and afterwards either
set them free as an act of grace,
or let them ransom [themselves]
until the war is finally over. Thus
you shall do; and if God had
pleased, He would certainly have
exacted retribution from them,
but His purpose is to test some of
you by means of others. As for
those who are killed in God’s
cause, He will never let their
deeds be in vain; 5 He will guide
them and improve their
condition; 6 He will admit them
into the Garden He has already
made known to them.7 Believers! If you succour
God, He will succour you and
make your footsteps firm. 8 But
as for those who are bent on
denying the truth, destruction
will be their lot, and [God] will
make their deeds come to
nothing. 9 It is because they are
averse to what God has revealed
that He has rendered their deeds
futile. 10 Have they not travelled
the earth and seen how those
before them met their end? God
destroyed them utterly: a similar
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
(387)
fate awaits those who deny the
truth. 11 That is because God is
the protector of the believers,
and those who deny the truth
have no protector at all.12 God will admit those who
believe and do good deeds to
Gardens through which rivers
flow. Those who deny the truth
may take their fill of pleasure in
this world, and eat as cattle do,
but the Fire will be their ultimate
abode. 13 How many towns We
have destroyed, greater in
strength than your city which
has driven you out, and there
was no one to help them.14 Can then he who takes his
stand on clear evidence from his
God be likened to those for
whom the evil that they do is
made to look beautiful, and who
follow their own desires? 15 Here
is a description of the Garden
promised to the righteous: therein
are rivers of water which is
forever pure; and rivers of milk
of which the taste never changes;
and rivers of wine, a delight to
those who drink it, and rivers of
pure honey. And in it they will
have all kinds of fruit, and will
receive forgiveness from their
Lord. Can those who enjoy such
bliss be like those who abide in
the Fire and who are given
boiling water to drink so that it
tears their bowels?16 Among them are those who
listen to you, but then, when
they leave your presence, say to
those who have been given
knowledge [Scripture], “What
was that he just said?” Such are
those whose hearts God has
sealed, and who follow their
own base desires. 17 But as for
those who follow guidance, He
adds to their guidance, and shows
them the way to righteousness.18 Are they awaiting the Hour
of Doom to come upon them
suddenly? Its signs have already
come. But of what avail will
their admonition be to them when
it has actually come upon them?19 Know then that there is no god
except God. Ask forgiveness for
your wrongdoing, and for the
men and women who believe.
God knows both your movements
and your lodging.
47:11 Muhammad 388
20 Those who believe ask why
no chapter [about fighting] has
been sent down. Yet when a
decisive chapter that mentions
fighting is sent down, you can
see the sick of heart looking at
you [Prophet] as if they were
under the shadow of death.
Therefore, woe to them!21 Obedience and saying what is
just would become them more;
when the decision is taken, it
would be better for them if they
acted sincerely towards God.22 Then if you turn away, you are
likely to spread corruption on
the earth and sever your ties of
kinship. 23 Such are those whom
God has rejected, making their
ears deaf and their eyes blind.24 Will they not, then, ponder
over this Quran? Or are there
locks upon their hearts? 25 Surely,
those who turn their backs [on
this message] after guidance has
been shown to them, [do it
because] Satan has embellished
their fancies and God gives them
respite; 26 because they say to
those who abhor what God has
revealed, ‘We will obey you in
some matters.’ God knows their
secrets. 27 Then how will it be
when the angels take their souls,
beating them on their faces and
their backs, 28 because they
followed the way that made God
wrathful, and hated to adopt the
way of His pleasure? So He
made their actions come to
nothing.29 Do the sick at heart imagine
that God will not bring to light
their malice? 30 Now had We so
willed, We could have shown
them clearly to you, and then
you could have identified them
by their marks, but surely you
will know them by the tone of
their speech! God knows all that
you do.31 Most certainly We will try
you until We have discovered
those among you who strive their
hardest, and those who are
steadfast, and will test your
record. 32 Surely, they who are
bent on denying the truth and on
barring [others] from the path of
God, and oppose the Messenger
when they have been shown
guidance, cannot harm God in
389 Muhammad 47:32
4 8 . V I C TORY ( A L - F ATH )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
any way. He will cause all their
deeds to come to nothing.33 Believers, obey God and
obey the Messenger: do not let
your deeds go to waste—34 surely
those who reject the truth and
bar others from the path of God,
then die as deniers of the truth,
will not be granted forgiveness
by God. 35 So do not lose heart or
appeal for peace when you have
gained the upper hand. God is
with you and will never let your
works go to waste.36 The life of this world is only
a game, a pastime, but if you
believe and are mindful of God,
He will recompense you and will
not ask you for your wealth. 37 If
He were to ask it [wealth] of
you, and continued to press you,
you would be niggardly, and this
would show your ill-will.38 Behold! You are those who are
called upon to spend for God’s
cause, but among you are those
who are niggardly, and whoever
stints does so against his own
self. Indeed, God is self-
sufficient, but you stand in need
[of Him], and if you turn back,
He will bring in your place
another people, who will not be
like you.
1 Truly, We have granted you a
clear victory 2 so that God may
forgive you your past and future
sins and complete His favour to
you and guide you to a straight
path, 3 and so that God might
bestow on you His mighty help.4 It was He who sent down
tranquillity into the hearts of the
believers, to add faith to their
faith—the forces of the heavens
and earth belong to Him; He is
all knowing and all wise—5 and
so that He might admit the
believers, men and women, into
Gardens through which rivers
flow, to dwell therein forever,
and so that He may remove their
47:33 Muhammad 390
evils from them—that is, indeed,
a supreme triumph in God’s
eyes—6 and so that He might
punish hypocritical men and
women as well as the polytheists
men and women who think evil
thoughts about God; an evil turn
of fortune will fall upon them,
for God has become angry with
them, and has rejected them and
prepared Hell for them. How evil
is such a destination. 7 The forces
of heavens and earth belong to
God; He is almighty and all wise.8 We have sent you forth as a
witness and a bearer of good
tidings and a warner, 9 so that
you may believe in God and His
Messenger, and may help him,
and honour him, and so that you
may glorify God morning and
evening. 10 Behold, all who
pledge their allegiance to you
indeed pledge their allegiance to
God: the hand of God is over
their hands. Hence, he who breaks
his oath, breaks it only to his own
loss. Whereas he who remains
true to what he has pledged to
God, shall have a great reward
bestowed upon him by God.
11 Those desert Arabs who
remained behind will say to you,
‘Our belongings and our families
kept us occupied, so ask
forgiveness for us.’ They will
say with their tongues what is
not in their hearts. Say, ‘Who
then has any power at all [to
intervene] on your behalf with
God, if His will is to do you
harm, or if He intends to do you
good? Indeed, God is well aware
of all that you do.’ 12 No. You
thought that the Messenger and
the believers would never
return to their families; this
prospect seemed pleasing to
your hearts, and you conceived
evil thoughts, and thus were
doomed to perish. 13 For those
who deny the truth, who do not
believe in God and His
Messenger, We have prepared
a blazing Fire. 14 To God
belongs the kingdom of the
heavens and the earth. He
forgives whom He pleases, and
punishes whom He pleases.
And God is most forgiving and
merciful.15 When you [believers] set
391 Victory 48:15
off to gather the spoils, those
that stayed behind will say, ‘Let
us come with you.’ They want to
change God’s word, but tell them,
‘You shall not follow us. God
has declared this beforehand.’
Then they will say, ‘You are
jealous of us.’ But how little
they understand!16 Say to the desert Arabs who
stayed behind, ‘You shall be
called against a mighty people;
then shall you fight, unless they
submit. Then if you prove
obedient, God will grant you a
good reward, but if You turn
back as you did before, He will
inflict on you a painful
punishment—17 the blind, the
lame, and the sick will not be
blamed.’ God will admit anyone
who obeys Him and His
Messenger to Gardens through
which rivers flow. But whoever
turns back shall be severely
punished by Him.18 God was pleased with the
believers when they swore
allegiance to you [Prophet] under
the tree: He knew what was in
their hearts and so He sent
tranquillity down to them and
rewarded them with a victory
near at hand 19 and with many
future gains—God is mighty and
wise. 20 God has promised you
many future gains, and He has
given you these in advance; and
He has restrained the hands of
men from harming you, so that it
may be a sign for the believers,
and so that He may guide you to
a straight path. 21 And there are
yet other [gains] which are still
beyond your grasp, [but] which
God has already encompassed
[for you]: for God has power
over all things.22 If those who deny the truth
were to fight you, they would
certainly turn their backs; then
they would find neither protector
nor helper: 23 such was the law
of God in the past; and you shall
find no change in the law of
God. 24 It is He who withheld
their hands from you, and your
hands from them in the valley of
Makkah, after giving you victory
over them. God sees what
you do.25 It was they who were bent
48:16 Al-Fath 392
on denying the truth, and who
debarred you from the Sacred
Mosque and who prevented your
offering from reaching its place
of sacrifice. And had it not been
for the believing men and
believing women [in Makkah]
whom you might unwittingly
have trampled underfoot, and on
whose account you might have,
unknowingly, become guilty,
[God would have commanded
you to fight it out with them; but
He ordained it thus] so that He
may bring whoever He will into
His mercy. If they [the believers]
had been clearly separated, We
would have punished those who
were bent on denying the truth
with a painful punishment.26 While those who deny the
truth made it a prestige issue [in
their hearts]—the bigotry of the
days of ignorance—God sent
His tranquillity down on to His
Messenger and believers and
firmly established in them the
principle of righteousness, for
they were indeed better entitled
to it and more worthy of it. God
has full knowledge of all things.
27 God has in all truth shown
His Messenger a true vision in
which He said, ‘God willing,
you will most certainly enter the
Sacred Mosque in safety and
without fear, shaven-headed or
with hair cut short’—God knew
what you did not; and has given
you a victory beforehand.28 He is the One who has sent
His Messenger with guidance
and the true religion, so that He
may have it prevail over all
[other] religions. God suffices
as a witness!29 Muhammad is the
Messenger of God. Those who
are with him are firm and
unyielding towards those who
deny the truth, but compassionate
towards one another. You see
them bowing and prostrating
themselves, seeking the grace of
God and His good will. Their
marks are on their faces, the
traces of their prostrations; they
are described in the Torah and in
the Gospel as being like a seed
which sends forth its shoot, then
makes it strong; it then becomes
thick, and it stands firm on its
393 Victory 48:29
own stem, delighting the sowers.
He seeks to enrage the disbelievers
through them. God has promised
4 9 . THE APA RT M E N T S ( A L - H U J U R AT )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Believers, do not push yourselves
forward in the presence of
God and His Messenger. Fear
God—God hears all and
knows all.2 Believers, do not raise your
voices above the voice of the
Prophet, and do not speak as
loudly when speaking to him as
you do when speaking to one
another, lest your actions come
to nothing without your realizing
it. 3 Those who lower their voices
in the presence of God’s
Messenger are men whose hearts
God has tested for piety—they
shall have forgiveness and a great
reward—4 those who call out to
you from outside your apartments
are lacking in understanding. 5 If
they waited patiently until you
came out to see them, it would
be better for them. But God is
forgiving and merciful.6 Believers, if an evil-doer
brings you news, ascertain the
correctness of the report fully,
lest you unwittingly harm others,
and then regret what you have
done,7 and know that the
Messenger of God is among you.
If he were to obey you in many
things, you would suffer for it.
However, God has endeared the
faith to you, and beautified it in
your hearts, and has made denial
of the truth, wickedness, and
disobedience hateful to you.
People such as these are rightly
guided 8 through God’s bounty
and favour; God is all knowing,
and wise.9 If two parties of believers
fight against each other, make
49:1 Al-Hujurat 394
forgiveness and a great reward
to those of them who believe and
do good works.
peace between them; then if after
that one of them transgresses
against the other, fight the party
that transgresses until it submits
to the command of God. Then if
it complies, make peace between
them with equity, and act justly.
Truly, God loves the just.10 Surely all believers are
brothers. So make peace between
your brothers, and fear God, so
that mercy may be shown to you.11 Believers, let not some men
among you ridicule others: it
may be that the latter are better
than the former: nor should some
women laugh at others: it may be
that the latter are better than the
former: do not defame or be
sarcastic to each other, or call
each other by [offensive]
nicknames. How bad it is to earn
an evil reputation after accepting
the faith! Those who do not
repent are evil-doers.12 Believers, avoid much
suspicion. Indeed some suspicion
is a sin. And do not spy on one
another and do not backbite.
Would any of you like to eat his
dead brother’s flesh? No, you
would hate it. Fear God, God is
ever forgiving and most merciful.13 Mankind! We have created
you from a male and female, and
made you into peoples and tribes,
so that you might come to know
each other. The noblest of you in
God’s sight is the one who fears
God most. God is all knowing
and all-aware.14 The Arabs of the desert say,
‘We have believed.’ Say to them,
‘You have not believed yet; say
rather, “We have submitted,” for
faith has not yet entered into
your hearts. But if you will obey
God and His Messenger, He will
not detract anything from your
good deeds. God is most
forgiving and ever merciful.’15 The believers are only those
who have faith in God and His
Messenger and then doubt not,
but strive, hard with their wealth
and their persons for the cause of
God. Such are the truthful ones.16 Say, ‘Do you presume to
teach God your religion when
God knows everything in the
heavens and earth? God has
knowledge of all things.’ 17 They
395 The Apartments 49:17
think they have done you a favour
by becoming Muslims! Say, ‘Do
not consider your Islam a favour
to me. No indeed! It is God who
bestowed a favour on you by
5 0 . QAF ( QAF )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Qaf
By the glorious Quran! 2 Indeed,
they are astonished that a warner
should have come to them from
among themselves. So these
deniers of the truth say, ‘This is
indeed a strange thing, 3 to come
back to life after we have died
and become dust? That is most
improbable!’ 4 We know very
well what the earth takes away
from them: We hold a book
which records all things. 5 But
they denied the truth when it
came to them, so they are in a
state of confusion.6 Have they not observed the
sky above them and marked how
We have built it and adorned it,
leaving no flaws in it; 7 We spread
out the earth and set upon it solid
mountains and We brought forth
from it all kinds of delightful
plants, 8 as a lesson and reminder
for every human being who turns
to God; 9 and We have sent down
from the sky blessed water with
which We have brought forth
gardens and grain to be harvested,10 and tall palm-trees with their
thickly-clustered dates, 11 as a
provision for human beings; and
by [all] this We bring dead land
to life. Such shall be the
Resurrection.12 Before them, the people of
Noah and the people of Rass
denied this truth; and so did the
people of Thamud. 13 And the
49:18 Al-Hujurat 396
guiding you to the true faith.
[Admit this], if you are telling
the truth.’ 18 God knows the unseen
things of the heavens and the
earth. God sees all that you do.
tribe of ‘Ad, and Pharaoh, and
the brethren of Lot, 14 and the
dwellers of the Wood, and the
people of Tubba‘: every one
denied their messengers, and so
My warning came true. 15 Were
We then worn out by the first
creation? Yet they are in doubt
about a second creation.16 We created man—We know
the promptings of his soul, and
are closer to him than his jugular
vein—17 and the two recording
angels are recording, sitting on
the right and the left: 18 each
word he utters shall be noted
down by a vigilant guardian.19 The trance of death will
come revealing the truth: that is
what you were trying to escape.20 The trumpet will be sounded.
This is the Day [you were]
warned of. 21 Each person will
arrive attended by an [angel] to
drive him on and another to bear
witness. 22 You were heedless of
this, but now We have removed
your veil, so your sight today
is sharp. 23 His companion
attendant will say, ‘I have here
his record ready.’ 24 ‘Cast into
Hell every ungrateful, rebellious
one, 25 hinderer of good,
transgressor, causing others to
doubt, 26 who has set up another
god besides God: cast him into
severe punishment’—27 and his
associate [Satan] will say, ‘Lord,
I did not make him transgress, he
had already gone far astray
himself.’ 28 God will say, ‘Do not
quarrel in My presence. I gave you
the warning beforehand 29 and
My word shall not be changed, nor
am I unjust to My servants.’30 On that Day, We shall ask
Hell, ‘Are you now full?’ Hell
will answer, ‘Are there any
more?’ 31 Paradise will be
brought near to the righteous
and will no longer be far away.32 This is what you were
promised—this is for everyone
who often turned to God and
kept Him in mind, 33 who fears
the Compassionate One, though
He is unseen, and comes to Him
with a penitent heart; 34 so enter
it in peace. This is the Day of
everlasting life. 35 There they
shall have all that they desire,
and there is even more with Us.
397 Qaf 50:35
36 How many a generation, far
greater in prowess, have We
destroyed before them! They
searched the entire land: but
could they find a refuge? 37 There
is truly a reminder in this for
whoever has a heart, whoever
listens attentively.38 We created the heavens, the
earth, and everything between
them in six days [periods] nor
were We ever wearied. 39 So bear
with patience what they say, and
glorify your Lord with His praise,
before the rising and before the
setting of the sun; 40 proclaim
His praise in the night and at the
end of every prayer.
50:36 Qaf 398
41 Hearken! The Day when the
caller will call from near. 42 The
Day when men will hear the
fateful cry, they will rise up
[from their graves]. 43 Truly, it is
We who give life and cause
death, and to Us shall all return44 on the Day the earth will be
rent asunder over them, and from
it they shall emerge in haste. To
assemble them all is easy enough
for Us.45 We know best what
those who deny the truth say.
You are not there to
force them: so remind, with
this Quran, those who fear
My warning.
5 1 . S C AT T E R I N G W I N D S
( A L - D H A R I YAT )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By the winds that scatter the
dust, 2 and those that bear the
burden [of the rain], 3 and those
speeding along with ease, 4 and
distributing the command of God
at His behest! 5 What you are
promised is certainly true: 6 the
Judgement will surely come to
pass—7 by the heaven full of
tracks, 8 surely you are deeply at
variance [as to what to believe]—9 he is turned away from [the
truth] who is destined to be so
turned away.
399 Scattering Winds 51:38
10 May the conjecturers perish,11 who flounder in the depths of
ignorance. 12 They ask, ‘When
will the Day of Judgement
come?’ 13 It will be the Day
when they are tormented at the
Fire. 14 ‘Taste your trial. This is
what you sought to hasten.’15 Surely the God-fearing will
find themselves in the midst of
gardens and springs. 16 They shall
receive what their Lord will
bestow on them. They have done
good works in the past, 17 sleeping
little in the night-time, 18 praying
at dawn for God’s pardon, 19 and
sharing their possessions with the
beggars and the deprived.20 On the earth, and in
yourselves, 21 there are signs for
firm believers. Do you not see
then? 22 In heaven is your
sustenance, and also that which
you are promised. 23 By the Lord
of the heaven and the earth, it is
certainly the truth. It is as true as
your ability to speak.24 Have you heard the story of
Abraham’s honoured guests?25 When they came to him they
said, ‘Peace!’ He answered,
‘Peace!’ [saying to himself].
‘They are strangers.’ 26 Then he
turned quickly to his household,
and brought a fatted calf, 27 and
placed it before them. ‘Will you
not eat?’ he said, 28 beginning to
be afraid of them. But they said,
‘Don’t be afraid’; and they gave
him the good news of a son who
would be endowed with
knowledge. 29 Then his wife came
forward, crying and beating her
brow. She said, ‘I am surely a
barren, old woman.’ 30 ‘Such is
the will of your Lord,’ they replied.
‘He is the Wise, the All Knowing.’31 Abraham asked, ‘What is
your errand, O messengers?’32 They replied, ‘We have been
sent to a sinful people, 33 so that
we may bring down upon them a
shower of stones of clay, 34 which
are marked by your Lord for the
punishment of those guilty of
excesses.’ 35 We saved all the
faithful in the town. 36 We found
in it only one household of true
believers—37 and We left therein
a sign for those who fear a
painful punishment.38 There is another sign in
Moses: We sent him to Pharaoh
with clear authority. 39 But he
turned his back, he and his
courtiers, and said, ‘This is a
sorcerer or a madman.’ 40 Then
We seized him and his army and
cast them all into the sea: he
himself [Pharaoh] was to blame.41 There is another sign in the
[tribe of] ‘Ad, when We sent
against them a life-destroying
wind 42 and it destroyed
everything over which it passed
and reduced it to dust. 43 In the
Thamud [there was another sign],
when they were told, ‘Make the
most of your lives for a while.’44 But they rebelled against the
command of their Lord. So the
thunderbolt overtook them while
they looked on: 45 they could not
stand up again, nor could they
defend themselves. 46 [We
destroyed] the people of Noah
before them. They were certainly
a sinful people.47 We built the universe with
Our might, giving it its vast
expanse. 48 We have spread out
the earth—how well We have
spread it out—49 and We created
pairs of all things so that you
might reflect. 50 Therefore hasten
to God; truly, I am sent by Him
to give you clear warning. 51 Do
not set up another god, along
with God. I come from Him to
warn you plainly.52 Likewise, there came no
messenger to those before them,
but they said, ‘He is a sorcerer or
a madman.’ 53 Have they handed
this down to one another? They
are certainly a people who exceed
all bounds, 54 so ignore them—
you are not to blame—55 but
keep on exhorting them, for
exhortation benefits the believers.56 I created the jinn and
mankind only so that they might
worship Me: 57 I seek no
sustenance from them, nor do I
want them to feed Me—58 it is
God who is the great Sustainer,
the Mighty One, the Invincible.59 The wrongdoers will meet the
same fate as their predecessors—
let them not ask Me to hasten on
[the punishment]—60 woe, then,
to those who are bent on denying
the truth, when the Day arrives
which they have been promised.
51:39 Al-Dhariyat 400
5 2 . M O U N T S I N A I ( A L - T U R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By the Mount Sinai, 2 and by
the Scripture penned 3 on
unrolled parchment, 4 by the
much-visited House, 5 and by
the lofty vault of the sky, 6 and
by the swelling sea, 7 the
punishment of your Lord shall
certainly come to pass— 8 there
is no one who could avert it—9 on the Day when the skies are
convulsed, 10 and the mountains
shudder and shake. 11 Woe on
that Day to those who deny the
truth, 12 who divert themselves
with idle chatter: 13 on that Day
they shall be ruthlessly thrust
into the Fire of Hell. 14 This is
the fire which you used to deny.15 Is this magic or do you not
see? 16 Now enter it. Whether
you behave patiently or
impatiently will make no
difference: you are only being
repaid for what you have done.17 Truly, the God-fearing will
dwell [on that Day] in gardens
and in bliss, 18 rejoicing in
whatever their Lord has given
them. Their Lord has saved them
from the torment of the Fire,19 ‘Eat and drink with good cheer
as a reward for your good deeds,’20 reclining on couches arranged
in rows. And We shall wed them
to fair maidens with large
beautiful eyes.21 To those who have attained
to faith We shall unite their
offspring who have also followed
them in faith, and We shall not
let any of their good deeds go
unrewarded; every human being
is a pledge for whatever he has
earned. 22 We shall provide them
in abundance with such fruit and
meat as they desire. 23 There,
they shall pass from hand to
hand a cup which does not lead
to any idle talk or sin. 24 They
will be waited upon by immortal
youths, like pearls hidden in
their shells. 25 They will converse
with one another, putting
questions to each other,
(401)
26 ‘Before this, when we
were among our families, we
were full of fear of God’s
displeasure—27 God has been
gracious to us and has saved us
from the torment of Hell’s intense
heat—28 before this, we used to
pray to Him. Surely, He is the
Beneficent, the Merciful.’29 Therefore continue to give
warning, for by the grace of your
Lord, you are not a soothsayer or
a madman. 30 If they say, ‘He is
but a poet; we are waiting for
some misfortune to befall him,’31 say [to them], ‘Wait then: I too
am waiting along with you!’—32 is it their minds that prompt
them [to say] this, or are they
merely insolent people? 33 Or do
they say, ‘He has invented it
himself’? Indeed, they are not
willing to believe. 34 Let them
produce a scripture like it, if
what they say is true.35 Were they created out of
nothing, or are they their own
creators? 36 Did they create the
heavens and the earth? No! They
have no faith. 37 Do they own
the treasures of your Lord, or
have they been given charge of
them? 38 Have they a ladder up
to heaven by means of which
they can overhear? Then let their
listeners bring a clear proof.39 Does God have daughters
while you have sons?40 Or do you ask them for a
reward, so that they are over-
burdened by debt? 41 Do they
possess knowledge of the unseen,
so that they can write it down?42 Do they want to hatch some
plot? Those who deny the truth
will be the victims of the plot.43 Or have they a god other than
God? Exalted be God over what
they ascribe as partners [to Him]!44 If they should see a part of
the heavens falling down, they
would say, ‘A mass of clouds,’45 so leave them alone till they
face the Day on which they will
be struck dumb, 46 the Day when
none of their scheming will be of
the least avail to them, and they
will receive no succour. 47 Truly,
for those who do wrong there is
a punishment besides that,
though most of them do not
know it.
52:26 Al-Tur 402
48 So wait patiently for the
Judgement of your Lord—you
are certainly under Our watchful
eye. And glorify and celebrate
403 The Setting Star 53:23
the praises of your Lord when
you rise up [from your sleep].49 Extol His glory at night, and at
the setting of the stars.
5 3 . T H E S E T T I N G S TA R ( A L - N A J M )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
a Al-Lat, al-‘Uzza and Manat were
the deities of ancient Arabia.
1 By the setting star, 2 your
companion has neither strayed
nor is he misguided, 3 nor does
he speak out of his own desire.4 It [the Quran] is nothing but
revelation sent down to him.5 He was taught by [an angel]
who is mighty in power, 6 and
endowed with wisdom; who in
time manifested himself;7 standing poised at the highest
point on the horizon, 8 then came
down close 9 until he was two
bow-lengths away or even closer10 and revealed to God’s servant
what he revealed. 11 The heart
[of the Prophet] did not
misconstrue what he saw. 12 Will
you then dispute with him as to
what he saw? 13 And certainly he
saw him descend a second time:
14 by the lote-tree of the farthest
limit, beyond which none may
pass 15 by the Garden of [Eternal]
Repose, 16 when the lote tree
was covered in mystic splendour.17 His sight did not waver nor
was it unduly bold. 18 He saw
some of the greatest signs of his
Lord.19 Have you really considered
al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, 20 and the
third one, Manat? a—21 ‘What!
For you the males and for Him
the females?’ 22 That indeed is
an unfair division—23 these are
nothing but names which you
yourselves have devised, you
and your forefathers. God has
sent down no authority for them.
53:24 Al-Najm 404
They follow nothing but
conjecture and what their own
selves desire, even though
guidance has already come to
them from their Lord! 24 Shall
man have whatever he craves?25 But it is to God that the
Hereafter and this world belong.26 There may be countless
angels in heaven, but their
intercession will be of no avail
until God has given permission
to those whom he chooses and
accepts. 27 Those who do not
believe in the life to come call
the angels by female names.28 They have no knowledge to
base this on. They merely indulge
in guess-work which can never
replace the truth. 29 So ignore
those who turn away from Our
revelation and seek nothing but
the life of this world. 30 That is
the ultimate extent of their
knowledge. Surely your Lord
knows best those who stray from
His path and He knows best
those who follow His guidance.31 Everything in the heavens
and on the earth belongs to God
and so He will requite those who
do evil in accordance with their
deeds and will reward those left
with that which is best, for those
who do good. 32 As for those who
refrain from committing grave
sins and indecent acts, though
they may commit minor offences,
your Lord is unstinting in His
forgiveness. He knows you when
He brings you out of the earth,
and when you were embryos in the
wombs of your mothers; so do not
make claims to be pure. He knows
best who is truly righteous.a
33 Have you [Prophet]
considered the man who turned
away, 34 who at first gave a little,
then later held back? 35 Has he
knowledge of the unseen, so that
he sees? 36 Has he not been made
acquainted with what was written
a Almighty God has given full
guidance to man as to what he should
do and what he should not. However,
man may be pardoned in the case of
lesser offences (lamam), i.e. indulging
in some mischief because of fleeting
emotion, on the condition that he
should immediately realise his lapse
and, being ashamed of it, seek pardon
of his Lord.
in the scriptures of Moses? 37 And
with Abraham who kept his
word: 38 that no soul shall bear
the burden of another; 39 and that
man shall have only that for
which he strives; 40 and that [the
fruit of] his striving shall soon be
seen; 41 and in the end he will be
repaid for it in full; 42 that all things
in the end shall return to God;43 that it is He who brings laughter
and tears; 44 that it is He who
causes death and gives life; 45 and
that He Himself created the two
sexes: male and female, 46 from
an ejected drop of sperm; 47 and
that He will bring about the
Second Creation; 48 that it is He
who gives wealth and
possessions; 49 that He is the
Lord of Sirius.
50 It was He who totally
destroyed the former ‘Ad 51 and
Thamud tribes, 52 and before
them the people of Noah who
were even more unjust and
insolent; 53 and He overthrew
the subverted cities [of Sodom
and Gomorrah] 54 and then
covered them from sight forever.55 On which then of your Lord’s
signs do you cast doubt?56 This is a warning just like
those of former times. 57 The
Hour that was to come draws
ever nearer. 58 None but God can
avert it. 59 Do you then find these
tidings strange? 60 Why do you
laugh rather than weep? 61 Will
you remain proudly heedless?62 Prostrate yourselves before
God, and worship Him alone!
405 The Moon 54:4
5 4 . T H E M O O N ( A L - Q A M A R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 The Last Hour draws near and
the moon is split asunder. 2 Yet,
when they see a sign they [who
deny the truth] turn their backs
and say, ‘The same old sorcery!’
3 They deny the truth and follow
their own whims—every matter
has its appointed time—4 there
has come to them many a tiding
wherein there are warnings,
54:5 Al-Qamar 406
5 profound in wisdom, but all
warnings have been of no avail:6 so ignore them. On the Day
when the Crier will call out
about a horrible event, 7 with
downcast eyes they shall come
out of their graves, as if they
were locusts milling about8 hastening towards the Crier.
Those who deny the truth will
cry, ‘This is such a hard day!’9 The people of Noah denied
[the truth] before them. They
belied Our messenger saying,
‘He is mad!’ He was rebuffed,10 so he cried out to his Lord,
saying, ‘I am overcome, so help
me!’ 11 So We opened the gates
of the sky with water pouring
down in torrents, 12 and We
caused the earth to burst with
gushing springs: so that the
waters met for a purpose which
had been decreed. 13 We bore
him on an [ark] which, made of
planks and nails, 14 floated on
under Our eyes: a vindication of
him who had been rejected. 15 We
have left this as a sign: but will
anyone take heed? 16 How
terrible then was My punishment
and My warning. 17 We have
made it easy to learn lessons
from the Quran. Is there anyone
who would receive admonition?18 The people of ‘Ad too
rejected the truth. How terrible
was My punishment and My
warning. 19 We sent a raging
wind against them on a day of
continuous calamity. 20 It swept
people away as if they were
trunks of uprooted palm trees.21 How [dreadful] was My
punishment and My warning!22 We have made it easy to learn
lessons from the Quran: is there
anyone who would receive
admonition?23 The tribe of Thamud also
rejected Our warnings: 24 they
said, ‘Are we to follow a man
from amongst ourselves? We
would surely then fall into error
and madness. 25 Has the [Divine]
message been revealed to him
alone of all of us? No, he is a
boastful liar.’ 26 [We said to him]
‘Tomorrow they shall know who
is the boastful liar, 27 for We are
[going to] send the she-camel as
a trial for them, so watch them
and be patient. 28 And tell them
that the water [of the well] is to
be divided between them, and
that each one should drink in
turn.’ 29 But they called their
companion who took a sword
and hamstrung her. 30 How
[terrible] were My punishment
and My warnings! 31 Then
We sent a single blast against
them and they became like dry
stubble which has been trampled
upon. 32 Indeed, We have made
the Quran easy to learn lessons
from. Is there anyone who would
receive admonition?33 The people of Lot rejected
Our warnings. 34 We sent a
sandstorm against them which
destroyed them all, except the
family of Lot, whom We saved at
the break of dawn, 35 as a blessing
from Us: this is how We reward
the thankful. 36 Lot warned them
of Our punishment, but they
disputed the warnings—37 they
even wanted to seduce his
guests—but We blinded them,
and said, ‘Taste My punishment
now that you have scorned My
warnings!’—38 and early in the
morning the punishment decreed
overtook them—39 ‘Taste My
punishment now that you have
scorned My warnings!’ 40 We
have made it easy indeed to learn
lessons from the Quran. Is there
anyone who would receive
admonition?41 Surely warners came to the
people of Pharaoh. 42 They, too,
rejected all Our signs. So We
seized them with the seizure of
One Mighty, Omnipotent.43 Are your people who deny
the truth better than those? Or
have you been given immunity
in the Scriptures? 44 Or do they
say, ‘We are a united group, and
we are bound to prevail’? 45 The
hosts shall soon be routed and
they shall be put to flight.46 Indeed, the Hour of Doom is
their appointed time, and the
Last Hour will be the most severe,
and the most bitter. 47 The evil-
doers are indeed sunk in error
and folly—48 on the Day when
they are dragged into the fire on
their faces, it will be said to
them, ‘Now feel the touch of
Hell!’
407 The Moon 54:48
5 5 . T H E M E R C I F U L ( A L - R A H M A N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
49 We have created everything
in due measure; 50 We command
but once: Our will is done in the
twinkling of an eye; 51 We have
indeed destroyed many a people
like you. Is there anyone who
would receive admonition? 52 All
1 The Merciful 2 who taught the
Quran—3 He created man 4 and
He taught him speech. 5 The sun
and the moon move according to
a fixed reckoning; 6 the stars and
the trees bend in prostration.7 He raised the heavens and set
up the measure, 8 so that you
should not transgress the
measure. 9 Always measure
with justice and do not give
short measure.10 He has laid out the earth for
His creatures. 11 On it are fruits
and palm-trees with sheathed
clusters [of dates], 12 and grains
with their husk and fragrant
plants. 13 Which of your Lord’s
wonders would you deny? 14 He
has created man, from dry ringing
clay, like the potter’s, 15 and He
created the jinns from a flame of
fire. 16 Which of your Lord’s
wonders would you deny? 17 He
is the Lord of the two easts and
the Lord of the two wests.18 Which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny? 19 He has set
the two oceans in motion,
converging together. 20 Between
them is a barrier, which they do
not overrun. 21 Which of your
Lord’s wonders would you deny?22 Pearls and corals come forth
from both of them. 23 Which, of
your Lord’s wonders would you
54:49 Al-Qamar 408
their deeds are recorded in their
books: 53 every action, small or
great, is noted down. 54 The God-
conscious will find themselves
in gardens and rivers, 55 in the
seat of truth with an all-powerful
sovereign.
deny? 24 His are the lofty ships,
that rear aloft on the sea like
mountains. 25 Which of your
Lord’s wonders would you deny?26 All that is on the earth is
doomed to perish, 27 while your
Lord’s own Self will remain full
of majesty and glory. 28 Which
of your Lord’s wonders would
you deny? 29 Everyone in the
heavens and on the earth entreats
Him. Every day He manifests
Himself in a new state. 30 Which
of your Lord’s wonders would
you deny?31 Soon We shall attend to
you—two big groups [of jinn
and mankind]. 32 Which of your
Lord’s wonders would you deny?33 O company of jinn and men! If
you have the power to go beyond
the realms of the heavens and
the earth, pass beyond them: you
cannot pass out but with [Our]
authority. 34 Which of your Lord’s
wonders would you deny?35 Flames of fire and molten brass
shall be sent against both of you,
and you will not be able to defend
yourselves.a 36 Which of your
Lord’s wonders would you deny?
37 When the sky is rent asunder,
and becomes red like red leather,38 which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny? 39 For, on that
Day, neither man nor jinn will be
questioned about his sins.40 Which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny? 41 The guilty
shall be recognized by their
marks so they shall be seized by
their forelocks and their feet.42 Which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny? 43 This is the
Hell which the guilty called a lie.44 They will go round between
its flames and boiling water.45 Which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny?
409 The Merciful 55:45
a The present world is a place of
trial. So long as the period of testing
lasts, everybody has the opportunity
to be as arrogant as he pleases. But, in
spite of this complete freedom, no jinn
or human being has the power to go
beyond the limits of the universe. This
fact itself is enough to prove that man
is completely in the grip of God. On
the expiry of the test period, when He
starts seizing hold of people, it will
not be possible for anybody to save
himself.
46 There are two gardens for
one who fears standing before
his Lord. 47 Which of your Lord’s
wonders would you deny?48 [There will be two gardens
with] spreading branches.49 Which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny? 50 In both of
them, there are two springs
flowing. 51 Which of your Lord’s
wonders would you deny? 52 In
both of them, there will be two
kinds of every fruit. 53 Which of
your Lord’s wonders would you
deny? 54 They will recline upon
carpets lined with rich brocade;
and the fruits of both these
gardens will be within easy reach.55 Which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny? 56 Therein are
maidens of modest gaze, whom
neither a man nor a jinn had ever
touched before them. 57 Which
of your Lord’s wonders would
you deny? 58 [There will be]
maidens as fair as corals and rubies.59 Which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny? 60 The reward
of goodness shall be nothing but
goodness. 61 Which of your
Lord’s wonders would you deny?
62 Besides those two there shall
be two other gardens. 63 Which
of your Lord’s wonders would
you deny? 64 Both [gardens] of
the darkest green. 65 Which of
your Lord’s wonders would you
deny? 66 In both of them live
springs gush forth. 67 Which of
your Lord’s wonders would you
deny? 68 In both of them there
will be fruit trees and date-palms
and pomegranates. 69 Which of
your Lord’s wonders would you
deny? 70 Therein will be maidens
chaste and beautiful. 71 Which
of your Lord’s wonders would
you deny? 72 [There the blessed
will live with their] pure
companions sheltered in
pavilions. 73 Which of your
Lord’s wonders would you deny?74 Whom neither a man or jinn
had ever touched before them.75 Which of your Lord’s wonders
would you deny? 76 [They will
live in such a paradise] reclining
upon green cushions and the
finest carpets. 77 Which of your
Lord’s wonders would you deny?78 Blessed be your Lord’s name,
full of glory and majesty!
55:46 Al-Rahman 410
5 6 . T H E I N E V I TA B L E E V E N T
( A L - W A Q I ‘ A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful1 When the inevitable event takes
place, 2 and there can be no
denying its happening, 3 some
shall be abased and others
exalted. 4 When the earth is
shaken violently, 5 and the
mountains are totally shattered
and crumble to pieces 6 and
become like scattered dust
particles, 7 [on that Day] you shall
be divided into three groups.a
8 Those on the Right—how
blessed are those on the Right!9 Those on the Left—how
unlucky are those on the Left!10 The third to the fore shall be
the foremost. 11 They shall be the
nearest to God. 12 They will dwell
in the Gardens of Bliss: 13 a large
group of the early believers,14 and a lesser number from the
later generations. 15 Seated on
couches wrought in gold and
encrusted with precious stones,16 reclining on them facing each
other; 17 they will be waited on
by ageless youths 18 carrying
goblets and ewers and cups filled
with the purest wine, 19 neither
causing headaches, nor
intoxication; 20 along with fruits
of their choice; 21 and the meat
of any bird that they may desire;22 and fair maidens with large,
lustrous eyes 23 like the pearls in
their shells: 24 shall be their
recompense for their deeds.25 They will not hear therein any
(411)
a In the present world, man observes
that he is free to do whatever he likes.
So the question of retribution in the
Hereafter makes no impact on his
mind. But the formation of the ‘other
world’ is just as possible as the
formation of the present world. When
that time comes, the whole system will
be reversed. Those people who were
higher in position will go down and
those who were lower in position will
be seen up above. At that time human
beings will be divided into three
groups, forward group (al-sabiqun),
people of the Right (ashab al-yamin)
and people of the Left (ashab al-
shimal).
vain or sinful talk, 26 only the
words of peace and tranquillity.27 Those on the Right, how
fortunate are those on the Right!28 They shall recline on high
amidst lote trees without thorns29 and clustered bananas, 30 and
spreading shade 31 and flowing
water, 32 and fruits in abundance,33 never-ending and unrestricted,34 on raised couches. 35 We have
created maidens perfectly 36 and
made them virgins, 37 loving
companions, matching in age,38 for those on the Right, 39 a
large group of the earlier people40 and a large group of those of
later times.41 Those on the Left: how
unfortunate are those on the Left!42 They will find themselves in
scorching wind and scalding
water, 43 and under the shadow
of black smoke, 44 neither cool
nor refreshing. 45 They had been
affluent before, 46 and they
persisted obstinately in awful
sin, 47 and they used to say,
‘What! After we have died and
become dust and bones, shall we
indeed be raised up again? 48 And
also our forefathers?’ 49 Say,
‘Indeed, the earlier ones and the
later ones 50 will indeed be
gathered together at a fixed time
on an appointed Day. 51 Then
you, you misguided ones, who
deny the truth, 52 shall eat the
fruit of the tree of Zaqqum,53 and fill your bellies with it,54 and shall drink boiling water
on top of that. 55 You shall drink
it as the thirsty camels drink.’56 This shall be their
entertainment on the Day of
Judgement.57 We have created you: why
then do you not accept the truth?58 Have you thought about [the
semen] that you discharge—59 did you create it or did We?60 It is We who have ordained
death for all of you; and We
cannot be prevented 61 from
replacing you by others like
yourselves or changing your
forms and re-creating you in
forms that you know nothing of.62 You have certainly known the
first creation. Why, then, do you
not take heed? 63 Have you
thought about what crops you
56:26 Al-Waqi‘ah 412
413 The Inevitable Event 56:96
plant? 64 Is it you who cause
them to grow or do We? 65 If We
so pleased, We could turn your
harvest into chaff. Then you
would start lamenting, 66 ‘We
are ruined, 67 nay, we are deprived
[altogether].’ 68 Have you
considered the water that you
drink? 69 Is it you who cause it to
descend from the clouds, or do
We? 70 If We so pleased, We
certainly could make it salty.
Why, then, are you not grateful?71 Have you thought about the
fire that you kindle. 72 Did you
produce the tree that serves as
fuel or do We? 73 We have made
it to be a reminder and a benefit
for the wayfarers. 74 So glorify
the name of your Lord, the
Supreme.75 Nay, I swear by the setting
of the stars—76 and, indeed, that
is a most mighty oath, if you
only knew—77 that this is indeed
a noble Quran, 78 in a well-
guarded preserved Book,79 which none can touch except
the purified. 80 It is a revelation
sent down from the Lord of the
worlds. 81 How can you regard
this discourse with disdain? 82 Do
you make its denial your means
of livelihood?83 Why, then, when the soul of
the dying man reaches the throat,84 and you are [at that moment]
looking on [helplessly]—85 and
We are nearer to him than you,
although you cannot see Us—86 why, then, if you are not subject
to Our command, 87 do you not
cause the soul to return to him if
you are truthful in your claim?88 But if he [the dying person] is
one of those brought near to
God, 89 then for him there shall
be comfort and plenty and a
Garden of Bliss; 90 and if he is of
those who are on the Right, 91 he
will be greeted with, ‘Peace be
to you,’ by those on the Right.92 But if he is one of those who
rejected [the truth] and went
astray, 93 he will be welcomed
with boiling water. 94 He will
burn in Hell. 95 This is indeed the
indubitable truth. 96 So glorify
the name of your Lord, the
Supreme.
5 7 . I R O N (A L - H A D I D )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Everything in the heavens and
earth glorifies God—He is the
Mighty, the Wise One. 2 He has
sovereign control over the
heavens and the earth. He gives
life and brings death. He has
power over all things. 3 He is the
First and the Last, the Outward
and the Inward. He has knowledge
of all things. 4 It was He who
created the heavens and earth in six
Days [periods] and then ascended
the throne. He knows what enters
the earth and what comes out of
it; what descends from the sky
and what ascends to it. He is
with you wherever you are; He
sees all that you do; 5 He has
sovereignty over the heavens and
the earth. All affairs will return
to God. 6 He causes the night to
pass into the day and the day to
pass into the night. And He knows
all that is in the hearts of men.7 Have faith in God and His
Messenger and spend in charity
from that of which He has made
you trustees: those of you who
believe and give alms shall be
richly rewarded. 8 What could be
your reason for not believing in
God, when the Messenger calls
on you to have faith in your Lord
and He has already made a
covenant with you, if indeed you
are true believers? 9 It is He who
sends down to His Servant clear
revelations, so that He may lead
you out of darkness into light.
God is indeed compassionate
and merciful to you. 10 Why
should you not spend for the
cause of God, when God alone
holds the heritage of the heavens
and the earth? Those of you who
spent and fought before the
victory will be higher in rank
than those who spent and fought
afterwards.a Yet God has
promised you all a good reward.
He is aware of all that you do.
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
(414)
11 Who will offer God a
generous loan? He will double it
for him and give him a rich
reward. 12 On the Day, you
[Prophet] shall see the faithful,
both men and women, with their
light streaming out before them
and on their right hands, [and
you shall hear a voice saying to
them:] ‘Glad tidings for you
today! You shall enter gardens
with rivers flowing through them
wherein you shall forever dwell.
That is the supreme triumph.’13 On that Day, the hypocrites,
both men and women, will say to
the faithful, ‘Wait a while for us,
so that we may have some of
your light.’ They will be told,
‘Turn back and look for a light
elsewhere.’ A wall will then be
raised between them. It will have
a gate on the inside of which will
be grace and mercy and on the
outside of which will be
punishment. 14 The hypocrites
will call out to the faithful: ‘Were
we not on your side?’ They will
reply, ‘Yes, but you gave in to
temptation, you wavered and
doubted and were deceived by
your wishful thinking until God’s
will was done; then the Deceiver
[Satan] misled you about God.’15 So this Day no ransom can be
taken from you nor from those
who were bent on denying the
truth. Your home is the fire; that
is your companion, and a hapless
journey’s end.16 Has the time not come for
the faithful when their hearts in
all humility should engage in the
remembrance of God and of the
revelation of truth, so that they
should not become like those
who were given the Book before
them, whose hearts with the
passage of time became hardened
and many of whom were
disobedient? 17 Remember that
God brings the earth back to life
after its death. We have made
Our signs clear to you, so that
you may fully understand.18 Alms-givers, both men and
women, who give a generous
loan to God, shall have it
multiplied and shall have an
honourable reward. 19 Those who
believe in God and His
messengers are the truthful ones
415 Iron 57:19
57:20 Al-Hadid 416
and the witnesses in the sight of
their Lord. They shall have their
reward and their light. But those
who are bent on denying the
truth and reject Our signs shall
be destined for Hell.20 Never forget that the life of
this world is only a game and a
passing delight, a show, and
mutual boasting and trying to
outrival each other in riches and
children. It is like the growth of
vegetation after the rain, which
delights the planter, but which
then withers away, turns yellow
and becomes worthless stubble.
In the life to come there will be
a terrible punishment, or God’s
forgiveness and approval: the
life of this world is nothing but
means of deception. 21 Vie with
one another for your Lord’s
forgiveness and for a Paradise as
vast as heaven and earth, which
has been made ready for those
who believe in God and His
messengers. Such is God’s grace.
He bestows it upon whoever He
pleases. There is no limit to
God’s bounty.22 No misfortune can affect
the earth or your own selves
without its first having been
recorded in a book, before We
bring it into being. That is easy
for God to do; 23 so that you may
not grieve for what has escaped
you, nor be exultant over what
you have gained. God loves
neither the conceited nor the
boastful, 24 nor those who, being
miserly themselves, urge others
to be miserly. He who turns his
back should remember that God
alone is self-sufficient and
worthy of all praise.25 We sent Our messengers
with evidence and, with them,
We sent down the Book and the
Scales of Justice, so that men
might act in all fairness. We sent
down iron with its great inherent
strength and its many benefits
for mankind, so that God might
know who would stand up for
God, though unseen, and His
messengers. God is powerful,
and almighty.26 We sent forth Noah and
Abraham and bestowed upon
their offspring prophethood and
the Book. Some of them were
rightly guided, but many others
were transgressors. 27 Then, in
their wake, We followed them
up with [others of] Our
messengers and after them Jesus,
son of Mary. We gave him the
Gospel and imbued the hearts of
those who followed him with
compassion and mercy. But We
did not prescribe monasticism
for them: that was their own
innovation by which they sought
to please God. But then, they did
not observe it in the way that it
should have been observed. So
We rewarded only those who
were truly faithful, for many of
them were disobedient.28 Believers, fear God and
believe in His messenger. He
will show you mercy in double
measure and will provide a light
for you to walk in. God will
grant you forgiveness. He is
forgiving and merciful. 29 The
People of the Book should know
that they have no power
whatsoever over God’s grace.
His grace is entirely in His hand
and He bestows it upon whoever
He wills. God is truly infinite in
His bounty.
417 The Pleading 58:3
5 8 . T H E P L E A D I N G (A L - M U J A D A L A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 God has indeed heard the words
of the woman who pleads with
you about her husband and lays
her complaint before God: God
hears what the two of you have
to say. God is all hearing, all
seeing.2 Those who separate
themselves from their wives by
pronouncing, ‘To me you are
like my mother’s back,’ must
concede that they are not their
mothers; none are their mothers
except those who gave birth to
them—surely they utter an evil
word and a lie. God is pardoning,
forgiving. 3 Those who put away
their wives by equating them
with their mothers, and then wish
to go back on what they have
said, must set free a slave before
the couple may touch one another
again. This is what you are
exhorted to do. God is fully
aware of what you do, 4 and anyone
who does not have the means
must fast for two consecutive
months before they touch each
other, and who is not able to do
that must feed sixty needy people.
That is to affirm your faith in God
and His messenger. These are the
limits set by God. Those who deny
the truth shall have a painful
punishment.5 Those who oppose God
and His Messenger will be
humiliated, as were their
predecessors. We have sent down
clear revelations. A humiliating
punishment awaits those who
deny the truth. 6 On the day God
raises them all up from the dead,
He will make them understand
what they have done. God has
taken everything into account,
even though they have forgotten,
for God is a witness to all things.7 Do you not see that God
knows all that is in the heavens
and on the earth? There is not a
secret consultation between
three, but He makes the fourth
among them—nor between five
but He makes the sixth—nor
between fewer nor more, but He
is in their midst, wherever they
may be: in the end He will tell
them the truth about their
conduct, on the Day of
Judgement. For God has full
knowledge of all things. 8 Have
you not seen how those who
were forbidden to hold secret
counsels yet revert to that which
they were forbidden to do? And
they conspire to indulge in
wrongdoing, aggressive behaviour
and disobedience to the Messenger.
When they come to you, they
greet you, but not in the words
God would use, and inwardly
they wonder, ‘Why does God
not punish us for what we say?’
Hell will be a fitting punishment
for them: they will burn in its
flames—a wretched fate!9 Believers, when you confer
together in private, do not confer
in support of sin and
58:4 Al-Mujadalah 418
419 The Pleading 58:18
transgression and disobedience
to the Messenger, but confer for
the promotion of virtue and
righteousness. Fear God, before
whom you shall all be gathered.10 Conspiracy for evil purposes is
the work of Satan, by which he
means to bring grief to believers.
But he cannot harm them in the
least, unless it be by God’s leave. Let
the believers put their trust in God.11 Believers, if you are told to
make room for one another in
your assemblies, then do so, and
God will make room for you,
and if you are told to rise up, do
so: God will raise in rank those
of you who believe and those
who have been given knowledge:
He is fully aware of all that
you do.12 Believers, when you come
to consult the Messenger
privately, give something in
charity beforehand. That is best
for you and most conducive to
purity. But if you cannot find
anything to give, know that God
is Forgiving and Merciful. 13 Do
you fear that you will not [be
able to] give in charity before
your consultation? Then if you
are unable to do so, [know that]
God has turned to you in His
mercy; then observe your prayers
and pay the prescribed alms and
obey God and His Messenger.
God is aware of all that you do.14 Do you not see those who
have befriended a people who
have brought down upon
themselves the wrath of God?
They are neither with you nor
with them and they wittingly
swear to falsehood. 15 God has
prepared a severe punishment
for them; surely what they have
done is evil. 16 They have used
their oaths to cover up their
misdeeds and have thus turned
others away from the path of
God. A humiliating punishment
awaits them.17 Neither their wealth nor their
children will be of the least avail
[in protecting them] against
God—they are the inheritors of
Hell, and there they shall remain
forever. 18 On the day God raises
them all up from the dead, they
will swear to Him just as they
have sworn to you, thinking that
they are on firm ground. But
surely they are liars. 19 Satan has
got the better of them and has
caused them to forget the
remembrance of God. They have
gone over to the side of the
devil, and it is as the devil’s
partisans that they shall be the
losers: 20 those who oppose God
and His Messenger will [on
Judgement Day] be among the
most abased. 21 God has decreed,
‘I and My messengers shall most
certainly prevail.’ Truly God is
Powerful and Almighty.22 You will find no believers in
God and the Last Day consorting
with those who oppose God and
His Messenger, even though
they be their fathers, their sons,
their brothers or their close
relatives. He has engraved faith
on their very hearts and has
strengthened them with a spirit
of His own. He will usher them
into Gardens through which
rivers flow where they shall dwell
forever. God is well-pleased with
them and they are well pleased
with Him. They are God’s party.
God’s party shall surely enter
into a state of bliss.
5 9 . B A N I S H M E N T ( A L - H A S H R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Everything in the heavens and
on the earth glorifies God. He is
the Almighty, the All Wise. 2 It
was He who turned those People
of the Book who denied the truth
out of their homes in the first
banishment. You never thought
they would go, and they thought
their strongholds would protect
them against God. But God came
upon them from where they least
expected and cast such terror
into their hearts that their houses
were pulled down by their own
hands as well as by the hands of
the believers. Learn a lesson,
then, you who are endowed with
insight.
58:19 Al-Mujadalah 420
421 Banishment 59:11
3 If God had not prescribed
exile for them, He would surely
have punished them in this world.
But they shall have the torment
of Fire in the Hereafter, 4 because
they set themselves against God
and His Messenger: God is stern
in His punishment of anyone
who sets himself against Him.5 Whatever palm trees you cut
down or left standing on their
roots, it was by God’s leave, so
that He might disgrace the
transgressors.6 Whatever God has given to
His Messenger as spoils from
them is by His grace; you spurred
neither horse nor camel for them,
but God gives power to His
messengers over anyone He
wills. God has power over all
things—7 whatever gains God
has assigned to His Messenger
from the inhabitants of the town
is for God and for the Messenger
and for his kinsfolk and for
orphans and the needy and the
wayfarer, so that they may not
become the property of those of
you who are rich. Whatever the
Messenger gives you, take it;
and whatever he forbids you,
abstain from it. Fear God; surely,
God is severe in retribution. 8 It
is for the poor refugees who
were driven from their homes
and possessions, desiring the
favour and the pleasure of God
and supporting God and His
Messenger. Such people are the
truthful.9 Those who were already
settled in the city [Madinah] and
firmly rooted in faith, love those
who migrated to them for refuge,
and harbour no desire in their
hearts for what has been given to
the [latter]. They give them
preference over themselves, even
if they too are needy: those who
are saved from their own souls’
greed are truly successful.10 Those who came [into the
faith] after them say, ‘Our Lord,
forgive us and our brothers who
preceded us in the faith and
leave no malice in our hearts
towards those who believe. Lord,
You are indeed compassionate
and merciful.’11 Have you not seen those
who act hypocritically? They say
to their disbelieving companions
from among the People of the
Book, ‘If you are driven out we
shall surely go out with you, and
we shall never listen to anyone
against you, and if war is waged
against you, we shall help you.’
God bears witness that they are
indeed liars. 12 If they are driven
out, they will not go with them,
nor, if they are attacked, will
they help them. Indeed, if they
go to their help, they will turn
their backs in flight, and then
they will not be helped.13 They are more in dread of
you than of God, because they
are people devoid of
understanding. 14 They will never
fight against you in a body except
from within fortified strongholds
or from behind walls. There is
much hostility between them.
You think they are united, but
their hearts are divided, because
they are a people devoid of
reason.15 Like those who went just
before them, they have tasted the
evil consequences of their
doings. And they shall have a
painful punishment. 16 They are
like Satan, who says to man,
‘Deny the truth!’ but when man
denied the truth, said, ‘I disown
you; I fear God, the Lord of the
Universe.’ 17 Thus, in the end,
both will find themselves in the
Fire, therein to abide: that is the
reward of evil-doers.18 Believers! Fear God, and let
every soul look to what it lays up
for the future. Fear God: God is
aware of what you do. 19 Do not
be like those who forgot God, so
that He caused them to forget
their own souls [their own true
interests]. It is they who are the
rebellious ones. 20 The people of
the Fire and the people of
Paradise are not equal. The
people of Paradise are the
victorious ones.21 Had We sent down this
Quran on a mountain, you would
certainly have seen it falling
down and splitting asunder,
because of the fear of God. We
set forth these parables to men
so that they may reflect. 22 He is
God: there is no deity save Him.
He knows the unseen and the
59:12 Al-Hashr 422
visible. He is the Compassionate,
the Merciful. 23 He is God, there
is no deity save Him, the
Sovereign, the Most Pure, the
Source of Peace, the Granter of
Security, the Protector, the
Mighty, the Subduer, the
Supreme, Glory be to God, who
423 She Who is Tested 60:4
is far above what they associate
with Him. 24 He is God—the
Creator, the Originator, the Giver
of Form. His are the most
excellent names. Everything in
the heavens and earth declares
His glory. He is the Mighty, the
Wise One.
6 0 . S H E W H O I S TESTED
( A L - M U M TA H A N A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Believers! Do not offer
friendship to those who are
enemies of Mine and of yours.
Would you show them affection
when they have rejected the truth
you have received; when they
have driven you and the
Messenger out [simply] because
you believe in God, your Lord. If
you have left your homes to
strive for My cause and out of a
desire to seek My goodwill, how
can you secretly offer them
friendship? I know all that you
conceal and all that you reveal.
Whoever of you does this will
surely stray from the right path.
2 If they gain ascendancy over
you, they will behave towards
you as enemies and stretch out
their hands as well as their
tongues with evil intent; they
long for you to renounce your
faith. 3 Neither your relatives nor
your children will be of any help
to you on the Day of Resurrection.
He will judge between you, and
God sees all that you do.4 Indeed you have an excellent
example in Abraham and those
who followed him, when they
said to their people, ‘We disown
you and whatever you worship
besides God. We renounce you.
60:5 Al-Mumtahanah 424
Enmity and hatred shall endure
between us and you, until you
believe in the one God.’ [The
exception was] when Abraham
said to his father, ‘I shall indeed
pray for [God’s] forgiveness for
you; although I do not have it in
my power to obtain anything
from God on your behalf.’ They
prayed, ‘O our Lord, in You we
have placed our trust and to You
we turn in repentance and to You
is the final return. 5 Our Lord, do
not make us a prey for those who
deny the truth, and forgive us
our Lord. For You alone are the
Mighty, the Wise One.’ 6 Surely,
there is a good example in them
for you; for those who place
their hopes in God and the Last
Day. Whoever turns away will
surely learn that God is self-
sufficient and worthy of all
praise. 7 It may well be that God
will create goodwill between you
and those of them with whom
you are now at enmity—for God
is all powerful, most forgiving
and merciful.8 He does not forbid you to
deal kindly and justly with
anyone who has not fought you
on account of your faith or driven
you out of your homes: God
loves the just. 9 God only forbids
you to make friends with those
who have fought against you
on account of your faith
and driven you out of your
homes or helped others to do
so. Any of you who turn
towards them in friendship will
truly be transgressors.10 Believers! When believing
women come to you as refugees,
submit them to a test. Their faith
is best known to God. Then if
you find them to be true believers,
do not send them back to those
who deny the truth. These
[women] are not lawful for them,
nor are those who deny the truth
lawful for these women. But
hand back to those who deny the
truth the dowers they gave them;
nor is it an offence for you to
marry such women, provided
you give them their dowers. Do
not maintain your marriages with
those women who deny the truth:
demand repayment of the dowers
you have given them and let the
disbelievers ask for the return of
what they have spent. Such is
God’s judgement; He judges with
justice between you. God is all
knowing and all wise. 11 If any
of your wives desert you to go
over to the disbelievers, and you
subsequently have your turn,
[by the coming over of a
woman from the other side]
give to those who have been
deserted by their wives the
equivalent of the dowers they
gave them. Fear God in whom
you believe.12 O Prophet! When believing
women come to you and pledge
themselves not to associate in
worship any other thing with
God, not to steal or commit
adultery or kill their children or
indulge in slander, intentionally
inventing falsehoods, and not to
disobey you in that which is
right, then accept their pledge of
allegiance and pray to God to
forgive them their sins, for God
is forgiving and merciful.13 Believers! Do not make
friends with those who have
incurred the wrath of God. Such
men are indeed bereft of all
hope of a life to come, just
as those who deny the truth
lying in their graves are bereft of
all hopes.
425 Ranks 61:5
6 1 . R A N K S ( A L - S A F F )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Everything in the heavens and
earth glorifies God—He is the
Almighty, the Wise. 2 Believers!
Why do you say one thing and do
another. 3 It is most hateful to
God that you do not practise
what you preach; 4 surely, God
loves those who fight for His
cause in ranks, as if they were a
solid cemented structure.a
5 Remember when Moses said
a See pages xiv to xvii of the
Introduction.
to a profitable course that will
save you from a painful
punishment? 11 You should
believe in God and His
Messenger, and strive for God’s
cause with your possessions and
your lives. That will be better for
you, if you only knew—12 and
He will forgive you your sins
and admit you into Gardens with
rivers flowing under them. He
will lodge you in fine dwellings
in the Gardens of Eternity; that
is indeed the supreme
achievement. 13 He will give you
another blessing which you
desire: help from God and
imminent victory. Give good
tidings [O Muhammad] to
believers!14 Believers, be God’s helpers,
as Jesus, son of Mary, said to the
disciples, ‘Who will be my
helpers in the cause of God?’
The disciples said, ‘We shall be
God’s helpers.’ Some of the
Children of Israel believed in
him and some denied the truth;
We supported the believers
against their enemies and they
triumphed over them.
to his people, ‘O my people, why
do you cause me grief when you
know that I am God’s Messenger
to you?’ When they wavered,
God let their hearts waver too.
God does not guide transgressors.6 Remember when Jesus, son
of Mary, said, ‘O Children of
Israel, I am sent to you by God,
confirming the Torah that came
before me and bringing good
news of a messenger to follow
me, whose name will be Ahmad.’
Yet when he came to them with
clear signs, they said, ‘This is
merely sorcery.’ 7 Who could be
more wicked than one who
invents lies about God when
called to submit to Him? God
does not guide the wrongdoers:8 they wish to put His light out
with their mouths. But He will
perfect His light, much as those
who deny the truth may dislike
it; 9 it is He who has sent His
Messenger with guidance and
the true religion, so that He may
cause it to prevail over all
religions, however much the
polytheists may dislike it.10 Believers! Shall I guide you
61:6 Al-Saff 426
6 2 . T H E D AY O F C O N G R E G AT I O N
( A L - J U M U ‘ A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Whatever is in the heavens and
on the earth glorifies God, the
Sovereign Lord, the Holy One,
the Mighty, the Wise. 2 It is He
who has raised among the
unlettered people a messenger
from among themselves who
recites His revelations to them,
and purifies them, and teaches
them the Book and wisdom, for
they had formerly been clearly
misguided—3 and to others also,
from among them, who have not
yet joined them. He is the Mighty,
the Wise One. 4 That is God’s
grace; He bestows it on whom
He pleases; for God is limitless
in His grace.5 Those who were charged with
bearing the Torah, but did not do
so are like an ass carrying a load
of books. How unfortunate are
those who belie the sign of God.
God does not guide the
wrongdoers. 6 Say, ‘You who are
Jews, if you claim that you are
favoured by God out of all
people, then long for death, if
you are truthful.’ 7 They will
never wish for it, because of
what their hands have sent
forward. God has full knowledge
of evil-doers. 8 So say, ‘The
death you run away from will
certainly meet you, and thereafter
you will be brought back to the
Knower of the unseen and the
seen, and He will declare to you
what you have done.’9 Believers! When the call to
prayer is made on the day of
congregation, hasten to the
remembrance of God, and leave
all worldly commerce: this is for
your own good, if you but knew
it. 10 When the prayer is ended,
disperse in the land and seek to
obtain [something] of God’s
bounty; and remember God
much, so that you may prosper.11 Yet when they see some
merchandise or entertainment,
they break away to go to it and
leave you standing. Say, ‘That
(427)
63:1 Al-Munafiqun 428
which God has in store is far
better than any merchandise or
entertainment.’ God is the most
munificent Giver.
6 3 . T H E H Y P O C R I T E S
( A L - M U N A F I Q U N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 When the hypocrites come to
you, they say, ‘We bear witness
that you are indeed the Messenger
of God.’ God knows that you are
indeed His Messenger, but God
bears witness that the hypocrites
are surely liars—2 they use their
oaths as a cover and thus they
bar others from God’s way: what
they have been doing is truly
evil—3 that is because they
believed and then rejected their
faith: their hearts are sealed up,
so that they are devoid of
understanding.4 When you see them, their
outward appearance pleases you;
when they speak, you listen to
what they say. But they are like
propped up blocks of timber.
They think that every shout is
directed against them. They are
the [real] enemies, so beware of
them. The curse of God be upon
them! How they turn away!5 When they are told, ‘Come!
The Messenger of God will ask
forgiveness for you!’ they turn
their heads away and you see
them walking away arrogantly.6 It makes no difference whether
you ask forgiveness for them or
not. God will not forgive them:
God does not guide such
rebellious people.7 They are the ones who say,
‘Give nothing to those who
follow God’s Messenger, until
they abandon him;’ but the
treasures of the heavens and the
earth belong to God, though the
hypocrites do not understand this8 [and] they say, ‘Indeed, when
we return to Madinah, [we] the
ones most worthy of honour,
will surely drive out from there
the contemptible ones!’
[referring to poor Muslims].
However, all honour belongs to
God, and to His Messenger and
those who believe [in God]: but
of this the hypocrites are
not aware.9 O believers! Do not let your
wealth or your children distract
you from remembrance of God.
Those who do so will be the
losers. 10 And spend out of
what We have provided you
with before death comes to
one of you and he says,
‘My Lord! If only You
would grant me respite for a
little while, then I would give
alms and be among the
righteous.’ 11 But God will not
grant a reprieve to a soul
when its appointed time has
come; God is well-aware of what
you do.
6 4 . L O S S A N D G A I N ( A L - T A G H A B U N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 All that is in the heavens and
on the earth extols the glory of
God. To Him belongs the
Kingdom and to Him all praise is
due. He has power over all things.2 It was He who created you; and
some of you are those who deny
this truth, and some who believe
[in it]. God sees everything you
do. 3 He created the heavens and
the earth for a purpose. He
formed you and gave you the
best of forms. To Him you shall
all return. 4 He knows whatever
is in the heavens and the earth.
He knows all that you conceal
and all that you reveal. God is
aware of what is in your hearts.5 Have you not heard about
those who denied the truth before
you and tasted the evil
consequences of their conduct?
They will have a painful
punishment. 6 That was because
their messengers came to them
with clear signs, but they replied,
429 Loss and Gain 64:6
64:7 Al-Taghabun 430
‘Shall mortals be our guides?’
And so they rejected the truth
and turned away. God has no
need of such people; God is self-
sufficient and worthy of all
praise.7 Those who deny the truth
claim that they will never be
raised up again. Say, ‘By my
Lord, most surely you will be
raised up again and then you will
be told of all that you have done;
and that is easy enough for God.’8 Believe then in God and His
Messenger, and in the light which
We have sent down. God is fully
aware of all that you do. 9 When
He shall gather you all for the
Day of Gathering, that will be
the Day of loss and gain; and
whoever believes in God and
does good deeds shall be forgiven
their sins and admitted to
Gardens through which rivers
flow, where they shall dwell
forever. That is the supreme
triumph. 10 But those who denied
the truth and rejected Our signs
shall be the inmates of the Fire,
there to remain—what an evil
destination!
11 No affliction can befall man
but by God’s permission—He
guides the hearts of those who
believe in Him: God has
knowledge of all things—12 obey
God and obey the Messenger;
but if you turn away, remember
that Our Messenger is only
responsible for clearly conveying
the message. 13 God! There is no
god but He, so let the faithful put
their trust in Him.14 Believers! [Even] among
your wives and your children
you have enemies: so beware of
them. But if you overlook their
offences and forgive and pardon
them, then surely, God is most
forgiving and merciful. 15 Your
wealth and your children are
only a trial; God’s reward is
great: 16 so be mindful of God as
best as you can; and listen, and
obey; and spend in charity: it is
for your own good. Those who
guard themselves against their
own greed will surely prosper:17 if you give a good loan to
God, He will multiply it for
you and forgive you, for
God is appreciative and
forbearing; 18 God is the
Knower of the unseen and the
seen: He is the Almighty, the
Wise One.
6 5 . D I V O R C E ( A L - T A L A Q )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 O Prophet! When any of you
divorce your wives, divorce them
during their period of purity and
calculate the period carefully: be
mindful of God, your Lord. Do
not drive them out of their
homes—nor should they
themselves leave—unless they
become openly guilty of immoral
conduct. These are the bounds
set by God. He who transgresses
God’s bounds wrongs his own
soul. You never know, after that,
God may well bring about some
new situation. 2 And when their
waiting term is ended, either
keep them honourably or part
with them in honour. Call to
witness two reliable men from
among you and bear true
witness for God. This is an
admonishment for those who
believe in God and the Last Day.
To one who fears God, He will
grant a way out [of his
difficulties], 3 and God will
provide for him from an
unexpected source; God suffices
for anyone who puts his trust in
Him. God will surely bring about
what He decrees. He has set a
measure for all things.4 In the case of those of your
wives who have passed the age
of menstruation, if you have any
doubt, know that their waiting
period is three months; and that
will apply likewise to those who
have not yet menstruated; the
waiting period of those who are
pregnant will be until they deliver
their burden [give birth]. God
makes things easy for those who
are mindful of Him. 5 Such is the
commandment which God has
revealed to you. He who fears
431 Divorce 65:5
God shall be forgiven his sins
and richly rewarded.6 Let the women [who are
undergoing a waiting period] live
in the same manner as you live
yourselves, in accordance with
your means; and do not harass
them in order to make their lives
difficult. If they are pregnant,
maintain them until they give
birth; if they suckle your infants,
pay them for it; discuss things
among yourselves in all
decency—if you cannot bear with
each other, let another woman
suckle for you—7 let the man of
means spend in accordance with
his means; and let him whose
resources are restricted, spend in
accordance with what God has
given him. God does not burden
any person with more than He
has given him. God will soon
bring about ease after hardship.8 How many a town rebelled
against the commands of its Lord
and His messengers and We
called them sternly to account
and punished them severely, 9 so
they tasted the evil consequences
of their conduct and the result of
their conduct was ruin. 10 God
has prepared a severe punishment
for them. So, fear God, O men of
understanding, who have
believed. God has sent down to
you a Reminder 11 and a
messenger who conveys to you
God’s clear messages, so that he
might lead those, who believe
and do good deeds, out of
darkness into light. God will
admit those who believe in Him
and do good deeds into Gardens
with rivers flowing through them,
where they will remain forever.
God has indeed made excellent
provision for them.12 It is God who created
the seven heavens and the
same number of earths. His
commandment descends among
them, so that you may know that
God has power over all things;
and that He encompasses all
things with His knowledge.
65:6 Al-Talaq 432
6 6 . P R O H I B I T I O N (A L - T A H R I M )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Prophet, why in your desire to
please your wives, do you impose
a ban on what God has made
lawful to you? God is forgiving
and merciful. 2 God has already
ordained that you be absolved of
such oaths. God is your patron.
He is the All Knowing, the Wise
One.3 The Prophet once told one of
his wives something in
confidence. She did not keep it
secret and God informed him of
this; he made known a part of it,
and avoided [mentioning] part
of it. When he spoke to his wife
of this, she asked him who had
told him about it. He replied,
‘The All Knowing, the All Aware
One.’ 4 If only both of you would
turn to God in repentance—and
your hearts are already so
inclined. But if you uphold each
other against him, then surely
God is his protector, and Gabriel
and the righteous among the
believers; and the angels too are
his helpers. 5 Were he to divorce
you, his Lord might well replace
you with better wives—
submissive [to God], believing,
pious, penitent, devout in
worship, given to fasting—
previously married and virgins.6 Believers, safeguard
yourselves and your families
from a Fire fuelled by people
and stones, and watched over by
angels, stern and strong: angels
who never disobey God’s
commands to them, but promptly
do as they are commanded. 7 You
who are bent on denying the
truth, make no excuses today:
you are only being rewarded
according to your deeds.8 Believers, turn to God in
sincere repentance. Your Lord
may well forgive your bad deeds
and admit you into gardens
watered by running streams, on
a Day when God will not abase
the Prophet and those who have
believed with him. Their light
(433)
66:9 Al-Tahrim 434
will shine out ahead of them and
on their right, and they will say:
‘Lord perfect our light for us,
and forgive us; You have power
over all things.’9 Prophet, exert yourself to the
utmost against those who deny
the truth and the hypocrites. Deal
severely with them. Hell will be
their abode—a vile destination.10 As an example to those who
are bent on denying the truth,
God cited the wife of Noah and
the wife of Lot, who were
married to two of Our righteous
servants, but who betrayed them.
So they could not help them
against God, and they were told,
‘Enter the Fire along with all the
others.’11 To the believers God has
given the example of Pharaoh’s
wife who said: ‘My Lord, build
me a house in nearness to You in
Paradise and save me from
Pharaoh and his misdeeds. Save
me from all evil-doers.’ 12 [God
gave another example in the story
of] Mary, ‘Imran’s daughter, who
preserved her chastity and We
breathed Our spirit into her; she
testified to the words of her Lord
and His Scriptures, and was truly
devout.
67 . T H E K I N G D O M ( A L - M U L K )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Blessed is He in whose hand is
the Kingdom: He has power over
all things; 2 He created death and
life so that He might test you,
and find out which of you is best
in conduct. He is the Mighty, the
Most Forgiving One. 3 He created
seven heavens one above the
other in layers. You will not find
any flaw in the creation of the
Gracious One. Then look once
again: can you see any flaw?4 Then look again and again.
Your gaze will come back to you
confused and exhausted.5 We have adorned the lowest
heaven with lamps, and We have
made them for driving away
devils. For them We have
prepared the punishment of the
blazing Fire. 6 Those who are
bent on blaspheming against their
Lord will have the punishment
of Hell: an evil destination.7 When they are cast into it, they
will hear its roaring as it boils
up, 8 as though bursting with
rage. Each time a group is cast
into it, its keepers will ask them,
‘Did no warner come to you?’9 They will say, ‘Of course, a
warner did come to us, but we
belied him and we said, “God
has revealed nothing; you are in
gross error”.’ 10 They will say, ‘If
we had only listened or
understood, we should not now
be among the inmates of Hell,’11 and thus they will confess their
sin; far from God’s mercy are the
inmates of Hell.12 As for those who fear their
Lord in the unseen will have
forgiveness and a rich reward.13 Whether you speak in secret
or aloud, He knows what is in
every heart. 14 How could He
who created not know His own
creation, when He alone is the
Most Subtle in His wisdom and
the All Aware?15 It is He who has made the
earth subservient to you, so
traverse its regions and eat its
provisions. To Him you shall all
be resurrected. 16 Do you feel
secure that He who is in heaven
will not cause the earth to sink
beneath you and then begin to
quake? 17 Do you feel secure that
the One in heaven will not send
against you a whirlwind to pelt
you with stones, so that you will
know how [true] My warning
was? 18 Those who went before
them belied [the truth]: then how
great was My rejection of them.19 Do they not see the birds
above them spreading and
closing their wings? None save
the Merciful sustains them.
Surely, He observes all things.20 Who is there to defend you
like an army, besides the Lord of
Mercy? Those who deny the
truth are in deception. 21 Who
can provide for you, if He
withholds His provision? Yet
435 The Kingdom 67:21
67:22 Al-Mulk 436
they obstinately persist in
rebellion and avoidance of the
truth.22 Is he who walks grovelling
upon his face better guided, or
he who walks upright upon a
straight path? 23 Say, ‘It is He
who brought you into being, and
made ears and eyes and hearts
for you, yet you are seldom
grateful.’ 24 Say, ‘It is He who
has scattered you on the earth;
and it is to Him that you shall all
be gathered [on the Day of
Resurrection].’25 They ask, ‘When will this
promise be fulfilled, if you are
truthful?’ 26 Say, ‘God alone has
knowledge of that; and I am only
a plain warner.’ 27 But when they
see it drawing near, the faces of
those who deny the truth will
turn gloomy and they will be
told, ‘This is what you were
calling for.’ 28 Say, ‘Have you
thought: if God destroys me and
those who are with me, or treats
us mercifully, then who will
protect those who deny the truth
from a painful chastisement?’29 Say, ‘He is the Most Gracious:
we believe in Him and we put
our trust in Him. You will soon
come to know who is in evident
error.’ 30 Say, ‘Have you
considered if your water were to
sink into the ground, who could
then bring you flowing water?’
6 8 . T H E P E N ( A L - Q A L A M )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Nun
By the pen, and all that they
write! 2 By the grace of your
Lord, you are not a mad man.3 Most surely, you will have a
never ending reward. 4 For you
are truly of a sublime character.5 Soon you will see, as will they,6 which of you is a prey to
madness. 7 Your Lord knows best
who has fallen by the wayside,
and who has remained on the
true path.8 Do not give in to the deniers
of truth. 9 They want you to make
concessions to them and then
they will reciprocate. 10 Do not
yield to any contemptible swearer
of oaths, 11 or to any defamer or
one who spreads slander, 12 or to
one who places obstacles in the
way of good being done or to the
wicked transgressor, 13 who is
ignoble and besides all that, base-
born; 14 just because he has
wealth and sons, 15 when Our
revelations are recited to him, he
says, ‘These are just ancient
fables.’ 16 Soon We will brand
him on the nose.17 We have tried them as we
tried the owners of a certain
orchard, who vowed to harvest
all its fruits the next morning,18 and made no allowance [for
the will of God]. 19 A calamity
from your Lord befell the orchard
as they slept. 20 And by morning
it lay as if it had already been
harvested, a barren land. 21 So
they called out to each other at
the break of dawn, 22 saying, ‘Be
quick to reach your orchard, ifyou want to gather all your fruits.’23 So they went off, whisperingto one another, 24 ‘Be sure tostop any poor person fromentering the orchard today.’25 They set out early in themorning, thinking they had thepower to prevent. 26 But whenthey saw it, they said, ‘We musthave lost our way. 27 Indeed, weare utterly ruined!’ 28 The more
upright of the two said, ‘Did Inot bid you to glorify God?’29 They said, ‘Glory be to God,our Lord. We have surely donewrong.’ 30 Then they began toheap reproaches on each other.31 They said, ‘Alas for us, ourbehaviour was beyond the pale.32 May be our Lord will give usa better orchard in its stead; weturn to Him.’ 33 Such was theirpunishment, [in this life]. But
the punishment of the life tocome is much more severe, ifonly they knew it!
34 Those who are mindful oftheir Lord will be rewarded withgardens of bliss. 35 Should We
treat the true believers and the
wrongdoers alike? 36 What ails
437 The Pen 68:36
you? How ill you judge! 37 Have
you a Scripture that tells you38 that you will be granted
whatever you choose? 39 Or do
you have Our solemn oaths,
binding upon Us till the Day of
Resurrection, that you shall have
whatever you yourselves decide?40 Ask them, which of them will
vouch for that! 41 Or have they
other partners [besides God]?
Let them bring forth their other
partners, if what they say be true.42 On the Day when the truth
shall be laid bare, they will be
called upon to prostrate
themselves, but they will not be
able to do so. 43 Their eyes will
be cast down and they will be
covered in shame; they were
bidden to prostrate themselves,
when they were safe and sound
[but they did not obey]. 44 So
leave to Me those who reject this
message. We shall lead them
step by step to their ruin, in ways
beyond their ken. 45 I shall grant
them some respite, for My plan
is powerful.46 Do you demand some
recompense from them that
would weigh them down with
debt? 47 Is the unseen within
their grasp so that they write it
down? 48 Wait patiently for your
Lord’s judgement; do not be like
the man who, having been
swallowed by a whale, called
out in distress. 49 Had his Lord’s
grace not been bestowed upon
him, he would have been cast
away in disgrace upon that
desolate shore. 50 But his Lord
chose him for His own and made
him one of the righteous. 51 When
those who deny the truth hear
the admonition, they would
almost cause you to stumble
with their evil eyes; and they
say, ‘He is certainly mad.’ 52 Yet
it is purely an admonition
to mankind.
68:37 Al-Qalam 438
6 9 . T H E I N E V I TA B L E H O U R
( A L - H A Q Q A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 The Inevitable Hour! 2 What is
the Inevitable Hour? 3 And what
will make you realize what the
Inevitable Hour is? 4 The tribes
of Thamud and ‘Ad denied that
disaster would strike them: 5 the
Thamud were destroyed by a
terrible storm of thunder and
lightning; 6 and the ‘Ad were
destroyed by a furious wind7 which God let loose against
them for seven nights and eight
days unremittingly, so that you
could have seen its people lying
prostrate as though they were the
hollow trunks of palm-trees
which had fallen down. 8 Do you
see any vestige left of them
now? 9 Pharoah and those before
him and the inhabitants of the
overthrown cities persistently
committed grave sins. 10 They
defied their Lord’s messenger,
so He seized them with an ever-
tightening grip. 11 But We bore
you away in the Ark, when the
waters rose high, 12 so that We
might make it a reminder for you
and so that attentive ears might
retain it.13 When a single blast is blown
on the trumpet, 14 and the earth
and the mountains are lifted up
and then crushed with a single
blow, 15 on that Day the Great
Event will come to pass. 16 And
the sky will be rent asunder, for
on that Day it will be so frail.17 The angels will appear by its
sides and, on that Day, eight
[angels] will bear your Lord’s
throne above them. 18 On that
Day you will be brought to
judgement and none of your
secrets will remain hidden.a
(439)
a The present world has been made
with a view to putting human beings
to the test. When the period of testing
is over, this world will be demolished
and a new world fashioned to meet
new requirements will be made. The
majesty of God at present reveals
itself indirectly, but at that time the
Majesty of God will be directly
manifested.
19 Then he who is given his
record in his right hand will
exclaim, ‘Here is my record,
read it. 20 Surely, I knew that I
should meet my reckoning,’ 21 so
he will live in a state of Bliss22 in a lofty garden, 23 with
clusters of fruit within easy reach.24 We shall say to him, ‘Eat and
drink joyfully as a reward for the
good deeds you did in days gone
by.’ 25 But he who is given his
record in his left hand will say,
‘If only I had never been given
my Record 26 and knew nothing
of my reckoning. 27 How I wish
my death had ended all. 28 My
wealth has been of no use to me.29 I am bereft of power.’ 30 Seize
him and fetter him, 31 and then
let him enter Hell. 32 Then fasten
him with a chain seventy cubits
long: 33 for he did not believe in
Almighty God, 34 nor did he feel
any urge to feed the needy, 35 so
today he has no friend here,36 and the only food he has is
filth 37 which no one will eat
except the sinners.38 But nay, I swear by all that
you can see 39 as well as all that
you cannot see: 40 most surely,
this is the word brought by a
noble messenger, 41 it is not the
word of a poet—how little you
believe!—42 Nor is it the word
of a soothsayer—how little you
reflect! 43 It is a revelation sent
down by the Sustainer of the
Universe: 44 if he had invented
any lies about Us, 45 We would
indeed have seized him by his
right hand 46 and would indeed
have cut his life-vein, 47 and none
of you could have held Us off
from him. 48 And surely it is an
admonition to the God-fearing.49 We know very well that there
are some among you who reject
Our signs—50 it will be a source
of bitter regret for those who
deny the truth—51 it is the
indubitable truth. 52 So glorify the
name of your Lord, the Almighty.
69:19 Al-Haqqah 440
7 0 . THE A S C E N D I N G S TA I RWAYS
( A L - M A ‘ A R I J )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 A doubter once demanded that
punishment be immediately
meted out, 2 to those who deny
the truth. No power can hinder
God 3 from punishing them. He
is the Lord of the Ascending
Stairways, 4 by which the angels
and the Spirit will ascend to Him
in one Day which will last for
fifty thousand years. 5 Therefore,
[O believers] behave with seemly
patience. 6 They see it [the Day
of Judgement] to be far off, 7 but
We see it near at hand. 8 On that
Day the heavens shall become like
molten brass, 9 and the mountains
will become like tufts of wool,10 and no friend will ask about
his friend, 11 though they shall
be within sight of each other.
The guilty one will gladly ransom
himself from the torment of that
Day by sacrificing his own
children, 12 his wife, his brother,13 and his kinsfolk who gave him
shelter, 14 and all the people of the
earth, if that could deliver him.
15 But no! There is a raging
blaze 16 stripping away his skin,17 and it will claim all those who
turned their backs [on the true
faith] and turned away [from the
truth], 18 and amassed wealth and
hoarded it. 19 Indeed, man is born
impatient: 20 when misfortune
touches him he starts lamenting,21 and whenever good fortune
comes to him, he grows
niggardly. 22 But not so the
worshippers 23 who are steadfast
in prayer; 24 those who give a
due share of their wealth 25 to
those who ask [for help] and to
the destitute; 26 and those who
believe in the Day of Judgement27 and are fearful of the
punishment of their Lord; 28 for
none may ever feel secure from
the punishment of their Lord;29 those who preserve their
chastity 30 except from their
spouses and those whom they
rightfully possess [through
wedlock], for which they incur
(441)
no blame—31 but those who go
beyond that limit are
transgressors; 32 and those who
are faithful to their trusts and to
their pledges; 33 and those who
stand by their testimony 34 and
are steadfast in their prayers.35 They will be honoured in the
Gardens of Bliss.36 But what is the matter with
those who deny the truth, that
they come hastening towards you37 from the right and from the
left, in crowds? 38 Does every
one of them aspire to be admitted
into a Garden of Delight?39 Certainly not! They know
quite well out of what We
created them.40 But nay! I call to witness the
Lord of the Easts and the Wests,
that We have the power 41 to
replace them with others better
than them: nothing can prevent
Us from doing this, 42 so leave
them to indulge in vain idle talk
and amuse themselves, until they
face the Day which they have
been promised, 43 the Day when
they shall come out of their graves
in haste, as if they were racing to
a goal, 44 with downcast eyes and
faces distorted in shame; such is
the Day which they are promised.
7 1 . N O A H ( NUH )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 We sent Noah forth to his
people, saying, ‘Warn your
people before there comes upon
them a grievous punishment.’2 [Noah] said, ‘My people! I am
but a plain warner to you, 3 that
you should worship God [alone]
and be conscious of Him. Pay
heed to me. 4 He will forgive
your sins and will grant you
respite till an appointed time.
When the time appointed by
God arrives, it cannot be
postponed, if you only knew.’5 He said, ‘My Lord! I have
called my people night and day
70:31 Al-Ma‘arij 442
6 but my pleas have only
increased their aversion. 7 Every
time I have called to them, so
that You might forgive them,
they have only thrust their fingers
into their ears, covered
themselves up with their
garments, grown obstinate, and
given themselves up to
arrogance. 8 Then I called them
openly, 9 and spoke to them in
public and in private.’ 10 Then I
said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your
Lord. Surely He is the most
forgiving. 11 He will send down
abundant rain from the sky for
you, 12 increase your wealth and
sons; and grant you gardens and
waterways. 13 What is the matter
with you that you deny the
greatness of God, 14 when He
has created you through different
stages of existence? 15 Do you
not see how God has created the
seven heavens one above another,16 and made the moon therein a
light, and made the sun a lamp,17 how God has produced you
from the earth and caused you to
grow, 18 how He will then return
you to it and bring you forth
again, 19 how God has spread the
earth out for you 20 so that you
may walk along its spacious
paths?’21 Noah supplicated, ‘Lord,
they have disobeyed me, and
followed those whose wealth
and children have only added to
their ruin; 22 and they have
hatched a mighty plot, 23 and
they said [to their followers],
“Do not ever abandon your
deities: abandon neither Wadd,
nor Suwa‘, and neither Yaghuth,
nor Yauq nor Nasr!” 24 They have
led many astray; so lead the
wrongdoers to further error.’25 They were drowned and sent
to Hell for their misdeeds; they
found no one to help them against
God.26 Noah prayed, ‘O my Lord!
Do not leave on earth a single
one of those who deny the truth—27 if You leave any, they will
misguide Your servants, and they
will beget none but sinners
and deniers of truth—28 Lord!
Forgive me and my parents and
every true believer who enters
my house, forgive all the
443 Noah 71:28
72:1 Al-Jinn 444
believing men and believing
women; and bestow no increase
7 2 . T H E J I N N ( A L - J I N N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
upon the wrongdoers except in
ruin.’
1 Say, ‘It has been revealed to me
that a band of the jinn listened
[to the Quran] and they said,
“We have heard a really
wonderful recital, 2 which guides
to the right path; so we have
believed in it and we will not
associate anyone with our Lord—3 and exalted is the majesty of
our Lord—He has taken neither
a wife nor a son. 4 And [now we
know] that the foolish among us
have been saying outrageous
things about God. 5 We had
supposed that men and jinn
would never utter a lie against
God. 6 Some men used to seek
refuge with the jinn in the past,
but that only increased their
insolence. 7 They thought, as you
did, that God would never
raise up anyone from the dead. 8
We sought to reach heaven, but
found it filled with strong guards
and flames—9 we used to take
up a position to listen, but
whoever listens now finds a
flaming fire lying in wait for
him—10 we cannot tell if this
bodes evil to those who dwell on
earth or whether their Lord
intends to guide them. 11 Some
of us are righteous, while others
are not; we follow divergent
paths. 12 We have realized that
we could never thwart God on
earth and that we would never be
able to thwart Him by flight.13 When we heard the call to
guidance, we believed in it. He
who believes in his Lord has no
fear of loss or of injustice.14 Some of us are obedient while
others are wrongdoers; it is the
obedient who have found the
right path, 15 but those who are
wrongdoers will become the fuel
of Hell.” ’
16 If they had followed the
right path, We would have
provided them with abundant
rain—17 so that We may test them
by it—whoever turns away from
the remembrance of his Lord
shall be sternly punished. 18 The
mosques are for God’s worship—
so do not invoke anyone else
along with God—19 when God’s
servant stood up to pray to Him,
they pressed close to him in
great numbers, almost stifling
him. 20 Say, ‘I call only upon my
Lord and do not associate anyone
else with Him.’ 21 Say, ‘It is not
in my power to cause you either
harm or good?’ 22 Say, ‘Surely
no one can protect me against
God, nor can I find besides Him
any place of refuge. 23 My duty
is only to convey that which I
receive from Him and His
messages.’ For those who
disobey God and His Messenger
there is the fire of hell, wherein
they will abide forever.24 When they are confronted
by what they have been promised,
they will realize who is weaker
in helpers and fewer in numbers.25 Say, ‘I do not know whether
what you are promised is
imminent, or whether my Lord
has set for it a far-off day.’ 26 He
alone has knowledge of what is
hidden. He reveals this to none,27 except the messenger whom
He has chosen. He sends down
guardians who walk before them
and behind them, 28 so that He
may know that the messengers
have delivered the messages of
their Lord. He encompasses all
that is with them and He keeps
count of all things.
7 3 . T H E W R A P P E D O N E
( A L - M U Z Z A M M I L )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 O you who are wrapped up in
your mantle, 2 stand up to pray
for much of the night. 3 It may be
half the night or a little less than
that 4 or a little more, but recite
the Quran slowly and distinctly.
445 The Wrapped One 73:4
73:5 Al-Muzzammil 446
5 For We are about to send down
to you a message of considerable
gravity.6 Surely, getting up at night
[for worship] is the most potent
means of subduing the self and
most suitable for the word [of
prayer]. 7 You have by day
prolonged occupations [with
Dawah work]. 8 Remember the
name of your Lord, and devote
yourself to Him wholeheartedly.9 He is the Lord of the east and
the west, there is no deity but
Him, so take Him as your
Guardian. 10 Bear patiently with
what they say, and ignore them
politely. 11 Leave it to Me to deal
with the deniers, who live a life
of comfort, and bear with them a
little longer. 12 We have in store
for them heavy fetters and a
blazing Fire, 13 food that chokes
and painful punishment 14 on the
Day the earth and mountains
shall shake and the mountains
crumble into shifting sand dunes.15 We have sent a messenger
who is a witness over you, just as
We sent a messenger to Pharoah
before you. 16 But Pharoah
rebelled against the messenger,
so We seized him with a strong,
crushing grip. 17 If you persist in
denying the truth how will you
escape the Day that will turn the
children’s hair grey. 18 The Day
when the heavens will be rent
asunder and God’s promise shall
be fulfilled. 19 This, surely, is an
admonition. So let him who will,
take the right path to his Lord.20 Your Lord knows that you
stand up praying for nearly two-
thirds of the night, or one-half of
it and sometimes one third of it,
as do others among your
followers. God determines the
measure of night and day. He
knows that you will not be able
to do it, so He has turned to you
in mercy. Recite, then, as much
of the Quran as is easy for you.
He knows that there will be
some among you who may be
sick and others who will be
travelling throughout the land
seeking God’s bounty, and yet
others who may be fighting for
the cause of God. So, recite, then
as much of it as you are able, and
be constant in prayer, and spend
in charity, and give to God a
goodly loan. For whatever good
deed you send on before you for
your souls, you will find it with
7 4 . W R A P P E D I N H I S C L O A K
( A L - M U D D AT H T H I R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 O, you, wrapped in your cloak,2 arise and give warning!3 Proclaim the glory of your Lord;4 purify your garments; 5 shun
uncleanness; 6 do not bestow a
favour in the expectation of
receiving more in return; 7 and for
the sake of your Lord, be patient.8 When the Trumpet is
sounded, 9 that Day will be a
hard and distressing Day. 10 It
will not be easy for those who
deny the truth. 11 Leave Me alone
[to deal] with him whom I have
created alone, 12 and to whom I
have granted resources in
abundance, 13 and sons to be by
his side, 14 and whom I have
provided with every resource,15 and yet, he greedily desires
that I give him even more! 16 By
no means! He has been
stubbornly hostile to Our
revelation: 17 I shall force him to
endure a painful uphill climb!18 For he thought and he
plotted—19 and woe to him; how
he plotted! 20 Let him be
destroyed. How he calculated!21 Then he looked round; 22 then
he frowned and scowled, 23 and
he turned his back and behaved
arrogantly 24 and said, ‘This is
nothing but sorcery from the
ancients. 25 This is nothing but
the word of a mortal!’26 Soon I will cast him into
hell. 27 What could make you
conceive what hell-fire is? 28 It
does not allow anyone to live,
and neither does it leave anyone
to die; 29 it scorches the skin;
God. It will be improved and
richly rewarded by Him. Seek
God’s forgiveness, He is most
forgiving, most merciful.
447 Wrapped in His Cloak 74:29
74:30 Al-Muddaththir 448
30 there are nineteen [angels]
in charge of it—31 We have
appointed only angels to be
wardens of the Fire. We have
specified their number only as a
trial for those who are bent on
denying the truth, so that those
who were given the Book might
gain in certainty, and those who
believe might increase in faith—
and so that neither those who
have been given the Scripture
nor the believers might have any
doubts, and that those sick at
heart and those who deny the
truth might ask, ‘What does God
mean by this parable?’ In this
way, God lets go astray whom
He wills, and guides whom He
wills. And none knows the forces
of your Lord but He. This is but
a Reminder for man.32 No, by the moon! 33 By the
night when it departs. 34 By the
dawn when it lightens! 35 Surely,
it is one of the gravest things,36 it is a warning to man, 37 alike
to every one of you, who want to
go forward or hang back. 38 Every
soul is held in pledge against its
own deeds, 39 except those of the
right hand 40 who in their gardens
will be enquiring 41 about the
sinners. 42 ‘What has brought
you into the Fire of Hell ?’ 43 and
they shall reply, ‘We were not
among those who prayed; 44 and
we did not feed the poor; 45 we
indulged in vain arguments along
with those who indulged in them;46 and we denied the Day of
Judgement 47 until the Inevitable
End [death] overtook us.’ 48 So
no intercession will avail them.49 Then what is wrong with
them that they turn away from
admonition, 50 like frightened
donkeys 51 fleeing from a lion?52 Indeed, everyone of them
desires to have sheets of
revelations unfolded before
them—53 No! They do not fear
the Hereafter— 54 but this is truly
a reminder. 55 Let him who will
take heed: 56 they will only take
heed if God so wills: He is the
Lord who is worthy to be feared:
the Lord of forgiveness.
7 5 . T H E D AY O F R E S U R R E C T I O N
( A L - Q I YA M A H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful1 By the Day of Resurrection,2 and by the self-reproaching
soul! 3 Does man think that We
cannot [resurrect him and] bring
his bones together again?4 Indeed, We have the power to
restore his very finger tips! 5 Yet
man wants to deny what is ahead
of him: 6 he asks, ‘When is this
Day of Resurrection to be?’ 7 But
[on that Day], when mortal sight
is confounded, 8 and the moon is
eclipsed, 9 when the sun and the
moon are brought together, 10 on
that Day man will ask, ‘Where
can I escape?’ 11 But there is
nowhere to take refuge: 12 on
that Day, to your Lord alone is
the recourse. 13 On that Day,
man will be told of all that he has
sent before and what he has left
behind. 14 Indeed, man shall be a
witness against himself, 15 in
spite of all the excuses he
may offer.16 [Prophet], do not move your
tongue too fast in your attempt
to learn this revelation: 17 We
Ourself shall see to its collection
and recital. 18 When We have
recited it, follow its words
attentively; 19 and then, it will be
for Us to make its meaning clear.20 Truly, you love immediate
gain 21 and neglect the Hereafter.22 Some faces will be radiant on
that Day, 23 looking towards their
Lord; 24 and some faces will on
that Day be gloomy, 25 dreading
some great affliction. 26 But when
[man’s soul] reaches the throat,27 and when it is asked: ‘Could
any magician save him now?’;28 and he knows that it is the time
of parting; 29 when his legs are
brought together [when affliction
is combined with affliction];30 on that Day he will be driven
towards your Lord!31 He neither believed nor
prayed, 32 but rejected the Truth
and turned away! 33 Then he went
off to his people, swaggering.34 Woe to you, [O man!], yes,
(449)
75:35 Al-Qiyamah 450
woe to you. 35 Again, woe to
you, [O man!], yes, woe to you!36 Does man, then, think that he
is to be left to himself, to go
about at will? 37 Was he not once
a drop of ejaculated semen,38 which then became a
7 6 . M A N ( A L - I N S A N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Was there not a period of time
when man was nothing worth
mentioning? 2 We created man
from a drop of mingled fluid so
that We might try him; We gave
him hearing and sight; 3 We
showed him the way, whether he
be grateful or ungrateful.4 [Now,] behold, for those who
deny the truth, We have prepared
chains, iron collars and a blazing
fire, but 5 the righteous shall
drink from a cup mixed with the
coolness of kafur,a 6 a spring
from which God’s servants will
drink, making it gush forth in
branches. 7 They keep their vows
and fear a day the woe of which
will spread far and wide; 8 they
give food, despite their love for
it, to the poor and orphans and
captives, 9 saying, ‘We feed you
for the sake of God alone, we
seek neither recompense nor
thanks from you. 10 Truly, we
fear from our Lord a woefully
grim Day.’ 11 Therefore, God will
ward off from them the woes of
that Day, and make them find
brightness and joy, 12 and their
reward for being patient will be
a Garden and silk [clothing].13 Reclining upon couches, they
will find therein neither the heat
a Camphor—a sweet smelling herb.
leech-like clot; then God shaped
and fashioned him in due
proportion, 39 fashioning out of
him the two sexes, the male and
the female? 40 Then is He not
able to bring the dead back
to life?
of the sun nor bitter, biting cold,14 the shading branches of trees
will come down low over them,
and their clusters of fruit, will
hang down where they are the
easiest to reach. 15 Vessels of
silver and goblets of pure crystal
will be passed round among them16 and gleaming silver goblets
which have been filled to the
exact measure, 17 and they will
be given a cup to drink flavoured
with ginger, 18 from a flowing
spring called Salsabil. 19 They
will be attended by youths who
will not age—when you see them
you will think them to be like
sprinkled pearls—20 wherever
you look, you will see bliss and
a great kingdom: 21 they will
wear green garments of fine silk
and rich brocade. They will be
adorned with silver bracelets.
And their Lord will give them a
pure drink. 22 This is your reward.
Your endeavour is fully
acknowledged.23 Truly, it is We who have
revealed to you the Quran, a
gradual revelation. 24 So wait
patiently for the command of
your Lord, and do not yield to
anyone among them who is sinful
or ungrateful; 25 and glorify your
Lord morning and evening; 26 and
during the night prostrate
yourself before Him, and extol
His glory for a long part of the
night. 27 Those people [who are
unmindful of God] aspire for
immediate gains, and put behind
them a Heavy Day. 28 It was We
who created them and made their
constitution strong, but if We
wish we can replace them with
others like them. 29 This is a
reminder. Let whoever wishes,
take the right path to his Lord.30 But you cannot will it unless
God wills [to show you that
way]—God is indeed all-
knowing and wise—31 He
admits whoever He will into
His grace and has prepared a
painful punishment for the
evil doers.
451 Man 76:31
7 7 . T H O S E T H AT A R E
S E N T FORT H ( A L - M U R S A L AT )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By the winds sent forth in swift
succession, 2 and then storming
on with a tempest’s force, 3 and
the rain-spreading winds,4 separating one from another,5 by those who bring down the
reminder, 6 to excuse some and
warn others: 7 that which you
have been promised shall be
fulfilled.8 When the stars lose their
light, 9 and when the sky is rent
asunder, 10 and when the
mountains crumble into dust11 and when the messengers are
brought together at the appointed
time—12 for what Day has this
been appointed? 13 For the Day
of Decision. 14 What will explain
to you what the Day of Judgement
is? 15 Woe on that Day to those
who reject the truth. 16 Did We
not destroy the earlier peoples?17 We will now cause the later
ones to follow them: 18 thus do
We deal with the culprits. 19 Woe
on that Day to those who reject
the truth!20 Did We not create you from
a humble fluid, 21 then placed it
in a secure repository [the
womb], 22 for an appointed term?23 Thus We have determined the
stages of development and Our
power to determine is excellent
indeed. 24 Woe on that Day to
those who reject the truth!25 Have We not made the earth a
receptacle, 26 for the living and
the dead? 27 Have We not placed
high mountains upon it and given
you fresh water to drink? 28 Woe
on that Day to those who reject
the truth!29 Proceed to that which you
denied. 30 Proceed to a shadow
rising in three columns:31 affording neither shade, nor
protection from the flames, 32 and
throwing up sparks as huge as
towers 33 and as bright as a herd
of yellow camels. 34 Woe on that
(452)
Day to those who reject the
truth! 35 On that Day they will be
speechless, 36 nor shall they be
permitted to offer excuses.37 Woe on that Day to those who
reject the truth! 38 This is the
Day of Judgement. We have
assembled you all together with
past generations. 39 If now you
have any strategy, use it against
Me. 40 Woe on that Day to those
who reject the truth!41 The righteous shall dwell
amidst cool shades and fountains,42 and shall have fruits such as
they desire; 43 [They will be told],
‘Eat and drink with relish in
return for what you did [in life]:44 this is how We reward those
who do good.’ 45 [But] woe on
that Day to those who reject the
truth! 46 Eat [your fill] and
enjoy your life for a little
while, O you who are lost
in sin. 47 Woe on that Day to
those who reject the truth!48 When they are bidden to bow
down, they do not bow down.49 Woe on that Day to those
who reject the truth! 50 In
which word then, after this, will
they believe?
7 8 . T H E T I D I N G S ( A L - N A B A’ )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 What are they asking each other
about? 2 About the awesome
tidings [of resurrection]3 concerning which they are in
disagreement! 4 But they will
soon come to know. 5 Surely,
they will soon find out the truth!6 Have We not spread the earth
like a bed, 7 and raised the
mountains like supporting poles?8 We created you in pairs, 9 and
gave you repose in sleep, 10 and
the night as a cover, 11 and made
the day for earning a livelihood.12 We have built above you seven
mighty heavens, 13 and We have
set therein a glowing lamp.14 From the rain clouds We send
453 The Tidings 78:14
78:15 Al-Naba’ 454
waters pouring down in
abundance, 15 so that We may
bring forth thereby grain and a
variety of plants, 16 and gardens
dense with foliage. 17 Surely, the
Day of Judgement has an
appointed time.18 On that Day when the
trumpet shall be sounded, you
shall come in droves, 19 and the
heaven shall be opened, and
become gates, 20 and the
mountains shall be made to
vanish, as if they had been a
mirage. 21 Surely, Hell lies in
wait, 22 a home for the
transgressors, 23 where they shall
remain for ages, 24 and where
they will taste neither coolness
nor any drink 25 save boiling
water and a stinking fluid—26 a
fitting requital, 27 for they never
expected to be called to account,28 and they rejected outright Our
signs; 29 but We have recorded
everything in a Book. 30 [So We
shall say], ‘Taste, then, [the fruit
of your evil doings,] for now We
shall bestow on you nothing but
more and more suffering!’31 As for those who are mindful
of God, they shall surely triumph:32 theirs shall be gardens and
vineyards, 33 and young maidens
of equal age, 34 and overflowing
cups. 35 There they shall not hear
any idle talk, or any untruth:36 all this will be a recompense,
a gift, that will suffice them,
from your Lord, 37 the Sustainer
of the heavens and the earth and
all that lies between them, the
most Gracious [and] none shall
have it in their power to raise
their voices to Him. 38 On the
Day when the Spirit and the
angels stand in ranks, no one
will speak, except for those to
whom the Lord of Mercy gives
permission, and who will say
only what is right. 39 That Day is
sure to come, so whoever wishes
to, let him take the path that
leads towards his Lord. 40 We
have warned you of a
chastisement which is near at
hand, on the Day when man
shall [clearly] see what his
hands have sent ahead, and
when he who has denied the
truth shall say, ‘Oh, would that I
were dust!’
7 9 . T H E P L U C K E R S ( A L - N A Z I ‘ AT )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By [the winds] that pluck out
vehemently 2 and those that blow
gently, 3 and by [the clouds] that
swim serenely and 4 by those
that outstrip them suddenly, 5 and
by those who regulate events.6 On the Day when a violent
convulsion will convulse [the
world], 7 to be followed by
further [convulsions], 8 hearts
will be throbbing, 9 while eyes
will be downcast. 10 They say,
‘What? shall we be brought back
to life, 11 even after we have
turned into decayed bones?’12 and they say, ‘That indeed
would be a losing return.’ 13 But
all it will take is a single blast,14 and behold! They will all come
out in the open.15 Have you heard the story of
Moses? 16 His Lord called out to
him by the sacred valley of Tuwa:17 [saying], ‘Go to Pharaoh, he
has exceeded all bounds, 18 and
say, “Will you reform yourself?19 Do you want me to guide you
to your Lord, so that you should
fear Him?”’ 20 Moses showed
him the great sign, 21 but he
denied it and refused [the faith].22 Then he quickly turned his
back. 23 And he summoned all
his people, 24 and proclaimed, ‘I
am your supreme Lord,’ 25 but
God seized him and meted out to
him the chastisement of both the
next world and the present:26 surely there is in this a lesson
for the God-fearing.27 [O Men!] Are you more
difficult to create than the heaven
which He has built, 28 by raising
its vault high and fashioning it
flawlessly, 29 and making its night
dark and bringing forth its
morning light, 30 and the earth
which He spread out, 31 after that
bringing forth from it its water
and its pasture land, 32 and
making the mountains firm:33 [all this] as a means of
sustenance for you and your
animals?
(455)
8 0 . H E F R O W N E D ( ‘ A B A S A )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
34 When the great over-
whelming event arrives, 35 on
the Day that man remembers
what he strove for 36 and Hell is
there for all to see, 37 anyone
who has acted arrogantly 38 and
prefers the life of this world,39 will find himself in Hell; 40 but
one who fears to stand before his
Lord and restrained himself from
base desires, 41 shall dwell in
Paradise. 42 They will ask you
[Prophet] about the Hour, saying,
‘When it will come to pass?’,43 what have you to do with the
mentioning of it? 44 Your Lord
alone knows when it will come;45 you are but a warner for those
who fear it. 46 On the Day when
they see it, they will feel as if
they had tarried in this world for
only one evening or one morning.
1 He frowned and turned away2 when the blind man approached
him, 3 for how can you know that
he might seek to purify himself,4 or take heed and derive benefit
from [Our] warning? 5 As for
him who was indifferent, 6 you
eagerly attended to him—7 though you are not to be blamed
if he would not purify himself—8 but as for one who comes to
you, eagerly 9 and in awe of God10 you pay him no heed. 11 Indeed,
this [Quran] is an admonition.
12 Let him who will, pay heed to
it. 13 It is set down on honoured
pages, 14 exalted and purified,15 by the hands of scribes,16 exalted and purified. 17 Woe
to man! How ungrateful he is!18 Of what [stuff] has He created
him? 19 Out of a drop of sperm!
He creates and proportions him,20 He makes his path easy for
him. 21 Then He causes him to
die and be buried. 22 Then when
He pleases, He will bring him
back to life. 23 Yet man declines
79:34 Al-Nazi‘at 456
to do His bidding. 24 Let man
reflect on the food he eats. 25 We
let the rain pour down in torrents26 and then We cleaved the earth
asunder. 27 We make the grain
grow out of it, 28 and grape vines
and vegetables, 29 and olive trees
and date palms 30 and burgeoning
enclosed gardens 31 and fruits
and fodder 32 as provision for
you and for your cattle to enjoy.33 But when the deafening blast
is sounded, 34 on that Day a man
shall flee from his own brother,35 his mother, his father, 36 his
wife and his sons: 37 on that Day
every man among them will have
enough concern of his own—38 on that Day some faces will be
beaming, 39 laughing, and
rejoicing, 40 but some faces will
be covered with dust 41 and
overcast with gloom: 42 those
will be ones who denied the
truth and were immersed in
iniquity.
8 1 . F O L D I N G U P ( A L - T A K W I R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 When the sun is folded up,2 and when the stars lose their
light, 3 and when the mountains
are moved, 4 when ten-month
pregnant camels are left
untended, 5 and when all beasts
are gathered together, 6 and when
the seas are set on fire, 7 when
the souls are divided into
different classes, 8 and when the
female infant buried alive is
asked 9 for what sin she was
killed, 10 when the records of
men’s deeds are laid open,11 when the sky is unveiled, 12 and
when Hell is set ablaze, 13 when
Paradise is brought close:14 [then] each soul shall know
what it has put forward.15 I swear by the receding stars,
16 the planets that run their course
and set, 17 and the night that
falls, 18 and the first breath of
morning. 19 Truly, this is the word
457 Folding Up 81:19
8 2 . T H E C L E AV I N G ASUNDER
( A L - I N F I TA R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 When the sky is cleft asunder;2 and when the stars are scattered;3 when the seas overflow; 4 and
when the graves are laid open:5 then everyone will know what
he has sent ahead, and what he
has left behind. 6 O man! What is
it that lures you away from your
bountiful Sustainer, 7 who
created you, fashioned you and
proportioned you, 8 in whatever
form He pleased? 9 Yet you deny
the Last Judgement. 10 Surely,
there are guardians watching
over you, 11 noble recorders,12 who know all that you do:a
13 the virtuous will dwell in bliss,14 whereas the wicked will be in
Hell; 15 which they shall enter on
the Day of Judgement, 16 and
from which they will find no
escape. 17 What will make you
brought by a noble messenger,20 endowed with power and held
in honour by the Lord of the
Throne—21 who is obeyed there
and is worthy of trust. 22 Your
companion is not one possessed:23 he truly beheld him [the angel]
on the clear horizon. 24 He is not
avid of the Unseen. 25 Nor is this
the word of an outcast devil.26 So where are you going?27 This is merely a reminder to
all mankind; 28 to every one of
you who wishes to tread the
straight path. 29 But you cannot
will it unless God, the Lord of
the Universe, so wills it [to show
you that way].
81:20 Al-Takwir 458
a The Quran informs us that the Day
of Judgement will finally come: all of
humanity will be assembled on that
Day and will be rewarded or punished
according to their deeds. These tidings
are absolutely consistent with the
present condition of the world. Indeed,
the meaningful creation of the human
being has its justification in this
announcement.
8 3 . T H O S E W H O G I V E
S H O RT M E A S U R E ( A L - M U TA F F I F I N )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Woe to those who give short
measure, 2 who demand of other
people full measure for
themselves, 3 but when they give
by measurement or weight to
others, they give them less. 4 Do
such people not realize that they
will be raised up, 5 on a fateful
Day. 6 The Day when mankind
will stand before the Lord of the
Universe? 7 Indeed! The record
of the wicked is in the Sijjin—8 and what could make you
understand what the Sijjin is?—9 it is a written record. 10 Woe, on
that Day, to those who reject,11 those who deny the Day of
Judgement. 12 No one denies it
except for the evil aggressor.
13 When Our revelations are
conveyed to him, he says, ‘Fables
of the ancients!’ 14 No! Their
own deeds have cast a veil over
their hearts. 15 Indeed! On that
Day a barrier will be set between
them and their Lord, 16 then they
shall enter the Fire of Hell, 17 and
they will be told, ‘This is what
you were wont to belie.’18 But, the record of the
righteous is [preserved] in the
‘Illiyyin—19 and what will make
you understand what the ‘Illiyyin
is?—20 a written record, 21 which
those angels closest to God will
bear witness to. 22 The virtuous
will surely be in bliss, 23 seated
on couches and gazing around in
realize what the Day of
Judgement will be? 18 Again:
what will make you realize
what the Day of Judgement
will be? 19 It will be a Day
when no human being shall be of
the least avail to any other
human being, God [alone]
will hold command on
that Day.
459 Those Who Give Short Measure 83:23
8 4 . T H E B U R S T I N G O P E N
( A L - I N S H I Q A Q )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 When the sky bursts open, 2 and
obeys its Lord as it must, 3 when
the earth flattens out, 4 and casts
out all that is within it and
becomes empty; 5 and obeys its
Lord as it must, 6 O man, having
striven hard towards your Lord,
you shall meet Him: 7 he who is
given his record in his right hand8 shall have an easy reckoning9 and he shall return to his people,
joyfully, 10 but as for him whose
record shall be given to him
from behind his back, 11 he will
pray for utter destruction 12 and
he will enter the blazing flame.13 He used to be happy with his
own people; 14 for he never
thought that he would have to
return [to God]. 15 But he will
indeed! His Lord was ever
watching him. 16 I swear by the
glow of sunset, 17 by the night
and what it covers, 18 and the
moon when it grows full, 19 you
will progress from stage to stage.
wonder. 24 You will find in their
faces the brightness of bliss.25 They will be given a drink of
pure wine, sealed, 26 its seal will
be of musk—for this let the
aspirants aspire—27 a wine
tempered with the waters of
Tasnim, 28 a spring at which those
drawn close to God will drink.29 The wicked used to laugh at
the believers—30 when they
passed by them, they would wink
at one another; 31 and when they
returned to their own people,
they would speak of them
jestingly; 32 and when they saw
them, they said [scornfully],
‘These men have surely gone
astray,’ 33 though they were not
sent to be their keepers—34 so
today those who believe shall
[be able to] laugh at those who
denied the truth 35 as they sit on
couches, gazing around. 36 Have
those who deny the truth [not]
been paid back for their deeds?
83:24 Al-Mutaffifin 460
8 5 . T H E C O N S T E L L ATIONS
( A L - B U R U J )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By the sky with its
constellations, 2 and by the
promised Day, 3 by the Witness
and the witnessed, 4 destroyed
were the people of the trench,5 the makers of the fuel-stoked
fire! 6 They sat by it 7 to watch
what they were doing to the
believers, 8 whom they hated for
no other reason than that they
believed in God, the Almighty,
the Praiseworthy, 9 to whom
belongs the kingdom of the
heavens and the earth. God is
witness over all things. 10 Those
who persecute the believing men
and believing women, and then
do not repent, will surely suffer
the punishment of Hell, and the
torment of burning. 11 But those
who believe and do good deeds
shall be rewarded with gardens
watered by flowing rivers. That
is the supreme triumph. 12 The
grip of your Lord is indeed
severe—13 it is He who begins
and repeats [His creation]—14 and He is the Forgiving and
Loving One. 15 The Lord of the
Glorious Throne, 16 Executor of
His own will. 17 Have you not
heard the story of the hosts 18 of
Pharaoh and Thamud? 19 Yet
those who deny the truth persist
in denial. 20 God encompasses
them from all sides. 21 It is indeed
a glorious Quran, 22 written on a
preserved Tablet.
20 What is wrong with them that
they do not believe? 21 When the
Quran is read to them, why do
they not fall to their knees?22 Indeed, those who are bent on
denying the truth reject it—23 God is quite aware of what
they are storing in their hearts.24 Therefore, give them the
news of a painful punishment.25 But for those who believe
and do good works; for
them there shall be a never-
ending reward.
461 The Constellations 85:22
8 7 . T H E M O S T H I G H ( A L - A ‘ L A )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
8 6 . THAT W H I C H C O M E S
I N T H E N I G H T ( A L - T A R I Q )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By the heavens and that which
comes in the night—2 and what
could make you know what it is
that comes in the night? 3 It is the
shining star—4 [for] no human
being has been left unguarded.5 Let man reflect on what he was
created from. 6 He was created
from spurting fluid, 7 issuing
from between the backbone and
the breastbone: 8 He certainly
has the power to bring him back
to life. 9 On the Day when secrets
are disclosed, 10 [man] will have
no power, and no helper. 11 By
the heavens, ever-revolving, 12 by
the earth cracking open with
new growth. 13 It is surely a
decisive utterance; 14 and is not
to be taken lightly. 15 They are
planning a scheme, 16 and so am
I: 17 so bear with those who deny
the truth, and let them be for a
little while.
1 Glorify the name of your Lord,
the Most High, 2 who created all
things and gave them due
proportions, 3 who determines
the nature [of all that exists], and
guided it accordingly; 4 who
brings forth green pasture, 5 then
turns it into black stubble. 6 [O
Prophet!] We shall make you
recite the Quran so that you will
not forget any of it—7 except
whatever God wills; He knows
both what is manifest and what
is hidden—8 We shall facilitate
for you the Easy Way. 9 Remind,
if the reminder can be of benefit.
(462)
10 He who fears [God] will heed
the reminder, 11 but it will be
ignored by the most unfortunate,12 who will enter the Great Fire,13 where he will neither die nor
live. 14 He who purifies himself,15 who remembers the name
of his Lord and prays, shall
indeed be successful. 16 But
you prefer the life of
this world, 17 although the
Hereafter is better and more
lasting. 18 This indeed is what is
taught in the former
scriptures—19 the scriptures of
Abraham and Moses.
8 8 . T H E O V E RW H E L M I N G E V E N T
( A L - G H A S H I YA H )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Have you heard about the
Overwhelming Event? 2 On that
Day, there shall be downcast
faces, 3 labouring, weary, 4 they
shall enter a burning Fire 5 and
will be made to drink from a
boiling spring, 6 they shall have
no food but thorns, 7 which will
neither nourish nor satisfy
hunger. 8 Some faces on that Day
will be radiant, 9 well pleased
with the result of their striving,10 in a sublime garden, 11 where
they will hear no idle talk, 12 with
a flowing spring,13 raised
couches, 14 and goblets set at
hand, 15 cushions ranged, 16 and
carpets spread out. 17 Do they
never reflect on the camels and
how they were created, 18 and on
the sky, how it is raised aloft,19 and on the mountains, how
they are firmly set up, 20 and on
the earth, how it is spread out?21 So, [O Prophet] exhort them:
your task is only to exhort, 22 you
are not their keeper. 23 But
whoever turns back and denies
the truth, 24 will be punished by
God with the greatest
punishment. 25 Certainly, it is to
Us that they will return. 26 Then,
surely, it is for Us to call them to
account.
463 The Overwhelming Event 88:26
8 9 . THE DAW N ( A L - F A J R )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By the Dawn, 2 by the Ten
Nights, 3 by the even and the
odd, 4 and by the passing night,5 is there not in this strong
evidence for a man of sense?6 Have you not heard of how
your Lord dealt with the tribe of
‘Ad, 7 the people of Iram, the
city of many pillars, 8 the like of
which has never been created in
the land, 9 and with the Thamud,
who cut out [huge] rocks in the
valley, 10 and with Pharaoh of
the stakes? 11 All of them
committed excesses in their
lands, 12 and caused much
corruption in them: 13 so your
Lord unleashed on them the
scourge of punishment: 14 for,
indeed, your Sustainer is ever on
the watch! 15 As for man, when
his Lord tests him, through
honour and blessings, he says,
‘My Lord has honoured me,’16 but when He tests him by
straitening his means of
livelihood, he says, ‘My Lord
has disgraced me.’ 17 No indeed,
but you show no kindness to the
orphan, 18 nor do you urge one
another to feed the poor, 19 and
you greedily devour the
inheritance of the weak, 20 and
you have a love of wealth which
can never be satisfied. 21 No
indeed! When the earth is crushed
and ground to dust, 22 when your
Lord comes down with the
angels, rank upon rank, 23 and
Hell is made to appear on that
Day, then man will be mindful,
but what will being mindful then
avail him? 24 He will say, ‘Oh,
would that I had provided
beforehand for my life!’ 25 On
that Day no one will punish as
He punishes, 26 and none
can bind with bonds like His!27 [But to the righteous, God
will say], ‘O soul at peace,28 return to your Lord,
well-pleased, well-pleasing.29 Join My servants. 30 Enter
My Paradise.’
(464)
9 0 . T H E C I T Y ( A L - B A L A D )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 I swear by this city—2 and you
are dwelling in this city—3 and
by parent and offspring, 4 that
We have created man into a life
of toil and trial. 5 Does he think
then that no one has power over
him? 6 He says, ‘I have spent
enormous wealth.’ 7 Does he then
think that no one sees him?8 Have We not given him two
eyes, 9 and a tongue, and a pair
of lips, 10 and shown him the two
paths? 11 But he has not attempted
the ascent. 12 What will explain
to you what the ascent is? 13 It is
the freeing of a slave; 14 or the
feeding in times of famine 15 of
an orphaned relative 16 or some
needy person in distress, 17 and
to be one of those who believe
and urge one another to
steadfastness and compassion.18 Those who do so are the
people of the right hand, 19 and
[as for] those who are bent
on denying the truth of
Our revelations, they are
the people of the left hand,20 and the Fire will close in
on them.
9 1 . T H E S U N ( A L - S H A M S )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By the sun and its rising
brightness 2 and by the moon as
it follows it, 3 and by the day as
it reveals its glory 4 and by the
night when it draws a veil over
it, 5 by the sky and how He built
it 6 and by the earth and how He
spread it, 7 by the soul and how
He formed it, 8 then inspired it to
understand what was right and
wrong for it. 9 He who purifies it
will indeed be successful, 10 and
(465)
9 2 . N I G H T (AL-LAYL )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
he who corrupts it is sure to fail.11 The Thamud tribe rejected the
truth because of their arrogance,12 when the most wicked man
among them rose up. 13 Then the
messenger of God said to them,
‘This is God’s she-camel. Let
her drink.’ 14 But they gave
him the lie, and hamstrung the
she-camel. So their Lord
destroyed them for their crime
and razed their city to
the ground. 15 He did not fear
the consequences.
1 By the night as it veils [the
earth] in darkness, 2 and by the
day as it appears radiantly, 3 and
by the creation of the male and
the female. 4 O men, you truly
strive towards the most diverse
ends! 5 As for one who gives [to
others] and fears [God], 6 and
believes in the truth of what is
right, 7 We will pave his way to
ease. 8 But as for one who is
miserly and unheeding, 9 and
rejects what is right, 10 We shall
pave his way to hardship, 11 nor
will his wealth profit him when
he falls [into the pit]. 12 Surely, it
is for Us to provide guidance—13 and to Us belongs the Hereafter
as well as the present world—14 I have warned you then about
a raging Fire: 15 none shall enter
it but the most wicked, 16 who
denied [the truth], and turned
away. 17 One who fears God
shall be kept away from it—18 one who gives his wealth to
become purified, 19 and owes no
favour to anyone, which is to be
repaid, 20 acting only for the sake
of his Lord the Most High—21 and before long he will be
well satisfied.
91:11 Al-Shams 466
1 By the glorious morning light;2 and by the night when it
darkens, 3 your Lord has not
forsaken you, nor is He
displeased with you, 4 and the
Hereafter will indeed be better
for you than the present life;5 soon you will be gratified with
what your Lord will give
you. 6 Did He not find you
orphaned and shelter you? 7 Did
He not find you wandering, and
give you guidance? 8 Did He not
find you in want, and make you
free from want? 9 Therefore do
not treat the orphan with
harshness, 10 and do not chide
the one who asks for help; 11 but
proclaim the blessings of your
Lord.
9 3 . T H E G L O R I O U S
M O R N I N G L I G H T ( AL-DUHA )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
9 4 . C O M F O RT (AL-SHARH )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Have We not lifted up your
heart, 2 and removed your burden3 that weighed so heavily on your
back, and 4 have We not given
you high renown? 5 So, surely
with every hardship there is ease;6 surely, with every hardship there
is ease. 7 So, when you are free,
strive hard, 8 and to your Lord turn
[all] your attention.
(467)
9 6 . T H E C L O T (AL- ‘ALAQ )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
9 5 . T H E F I G (AL-T IN )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 By the Fig and the Olive, 2 and
by Mount Sinai, 3 and by this
secure land, 4 We have indeed
created man in the best of mould,5 then We cast him down as the
lowest of the low, 6 except for
those who believe and do good
deeds—theirs shall be an unending
reward! 7 What then after this, can
make you deny the Last Judgement?8 Is not God the greatest of the
judges?
1 Read! In the name of your
Lord, who created: 2 created man
from a clot [of blood]. 3 Read!
Your Lord is the Most Bountiful
One 4 who taught by the pen,5 taught man what he did
not know. 6 Yet man behaves
arrogantly, 7 because he thinks
himself self-sufficient: 8 truly, all
will return to your Lord. 9 Have
you seen one who prevents 10 a
worshipper from praying? 11 Do
you think he is rightly guided,
12 or enjoins true piety? 13 Do
you see how he has denied the
truth and turned away from it?14 Does he not know that God
observes all things? 15 Let him
beware! If he does not desist, We
will drag him by the forelock—16 his lying, sinful forelock.17 Then let him call his associates;18 We shall summon the guards
of Hell. 19 No indeed! Do not
obey him, but prostrate yourself
and come closer to God.
(468)
9 7 . T H E N I G H T O F D E S T I N Y
(AL-QADR )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 We sent it [Quran] down on the
Night of Destiny. 2 And what
will make you comprehend what
the Night of Destiny is? 3 The
Night of Destiny is better
than a thousand months; 4 on
that night, the angels and the
Spirit come down by the
permission of their Lord with
His decrees for all matters; 5 it
is all peace till the break
of dawn.
9 8 . T H E C L E A R E V I D E N C E
( AL-BAYYINAH )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 The deniers of truth from among
the People of the Book and the
polytheists would not desist from
disbelief until they received clear
evidence—2 a messenger from
God, reciting to them pure
scriptures, 3 containing upright
precepts. 4 Those who were given
the Book did not become divided
except after clear evidence was
given to them. 5 They were
commanded only to worship
God, offering Him sincere
devotion, to be sincere in their
faith, to pray regularly; and to
give alms, for that is the right
religion. 6 Those of the deniers
of truth among the People of
the Book and the polytheists
will dwell forever in Hell-fire.
They are the worst of creatures.7 Truly, those who believe and
do good works are the best
of creatures. 8 God has a
reward in store for them:
Gardens of eternity, through
which rivers flow; they will
dwell therein forever. God is
well pleased with them and
they are well pleased with Him.
Thus shall the God-fearing be
rewarded.
(469)
1 0 0 . T H E S N O RT I N G H O R S E S
(AL- ‘ADIYAT )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
9 9 . T H E E A RT H Q U A K E (AL-ZALZALAH )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 When the earth is shaken with
its violent shaking, 2 when the
earth shakes off her burdens,3 when man asks, ‘What is
happening to her?’; 4 on that
Day it will narrate its account,5 for your Lord has so directed it.
6 On that Day people will come
forward in separate groups to be
shown their deeds: 7 whoever has
done the smallest particle of good
will see it; 8 while whoever has
done the smallest particle of evil
will see it.
1 By the snorting, panting horses,2 striking sparks of fire with their
hooves, 3 as they gallop to make
raids at dawn, 4 and raising
clouds of dust, 5 forcing their
way into the midst of the enemy,6 surely, man is ungrateful to his
Lord. 7 He himself bears witness
to that. 8 Surely, he is ardent in his
love of wealth. 9 Is he not
aware of the time when the
contents of the graves will be
brought out? 10 And the hearts’
contents shall be brought into
the open? 11 Surely, on that
Day, they will know that their
Lord had full knowledge of
them all.
(470)
1 0 1 . T H E C L AT T E R E R (AL-QARI ‘AH )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 The Clatterer! 2 What is the
Clatterer? 3 Would that you knew
what the Clatterer is! 4 [It is] a
Day when mankind shall be like
scattered moths 5 and the mount-
ains like tufts of carded wool.6 Then, the one whose good
deeds weigh heavy on the scales,7 will have a most pleasing life.8 But as for him whose deeds are
light on the scales, 9 the Abyss
shall be his home. 10 What will
convey to you what this is like?11 It is a blazing fire.
1 0 2 . G R E E D F O R
M O R E A N D M O R E (AL-TAKATHUR )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Greed for more and more
distracted you [from God] 2 till
you reached the grave. 3 But you
will soon come to know. 4 But
you will soon come to know.5 Indeed, were you to know the
truth with certainty, 6 you would
see the fire of Hell. 7 You would
see it with the eye of certainty.8 Then on that Day you shall be
questioned about your worldly
favours.
(471)
1 0 5 . THE ELEPHANT (AL-FIL )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 0 4 . T H E B A C K B I T E R (AL-HUMAZAH )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 0 3 . THE PA S S A G E O F T I M E (AL- ‘ASR )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 I swear by the passage of time,2 that man is surely in a state of
loss, 3 except for those who
believe and do good deeds and
exhort one another to hold
fast to the Truth, and who
exhort one another to stead-
fastness.
1 Woe to every fault-finding
back-biter, 2 who amasses
wealth, counting it over,3 thinking that his wealth will
make him live forever. 4 By no
means! He shall surely be cast
into the crushing torment.
5 Would that you understood
what that crushing torment is
like. 6 It is a Fire kindled by God.7 Reaching right into the hearts
of men, 8 it closes in on them
from every side 9 in towering
columns.
1 Have you not seen how your
Lord dealt with the people of the
elephant? 2 Did He not foil their
strategy 3 and send against them
flocks of birds, 4 which pelted
them with clay stones? 5 Thus
He made them like stubble
cropped by cattle?
(472)
1 0 6 . Q U R AY S H (QURAYSH )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 For the security of the Quraysh:2 their security in their winter
and summer journeys. 3 So
let them worship the Lord of
this House, 4 who provided
them with food lest they go
hungry and saved them from
fear.
1 0 7 . S M A L L T H I N G S (AL-MA‘UN )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Have you seen one who denies
the Day of Judgement? 2 Who
turns away the orphan, 3 and
who does not urge the feeding of
the poor? 4 So woe to those who
pray 5 but whose hearts are not
in their prayer. 6 Those who do
things only to be seen by others.7 Who are uncharitable even over
very small things.
1 0 8 . A B U N D A N C E (AL-KAWTHAR )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 We have given you abundance.2 Pray to your Lord and sacrifice
to Him alone. 3 It is the one who
hates you who has been cut off.
(473)
111 . T W I S T E D F I B R E (AL-MASAD )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
11 0 . H E L P (AL-NASR )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 0 9 . T H O S E W H O D E N Y T H E T R U T H
(AL-KAFIRUN )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Say, ‘You who deny the Truth,2 I do not worship what you
worship. 3 You do not worship
what I worship. 4 I will never
worship what you worship. 5 You
will never worship what I
worship. 6 You have your
religion and I have mine.’
1 When God’s help and victory
come, 2 and you see people
entering God’s religion in
multitudes, 3 then glorify your
Lord with His praise and
seek His forgiveness. He is
always ready to accept repent-
ance.
1 May the hands of Abu Lahab
perish, may he be ruined.2 Neither his wealth nor his gains
will avail him. 3 He shall soon
enter a Blazing Fire, 4 and also
his wife who carries the fuel,5 with a rope of twisted fibre
round her neck.
(474)
11 2 . O N E N E S S (AL- IKHLAS )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
11 4 . P E O P L E (AL-NAS )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
11 3 . D AY B R E A K (AL-FALAQ )
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1 Say, ‘He is God, the One, 2 God,
the Self-sufficient One. 3 He does
not give birth, nor was He born,4 and there is nothing like Him.’
1 Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord
of the daybreak 2 from the evil
of what He has created, 3 from
the evil of darkness as it
descends, 4 from the evil of those
who blow on knots 5 and from
the evil of the envier when
he envies.’
1 Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord
of people, 2 the King of people,3 the God of people, 4 from the
mischief of every sneaking whis-
perer, 5 who whispers into the hearts
of people, 6 from jinn and men.’
(475)
Aaron, 6:84; 20:29-36, 90-94‘Abasa, S.80Ablutions, 4:43; 5:6Abraham, fulfilled God’s
commands, 2:124; andKa‘bah, 2:125-127; 3:96,97;not Jew nor Christian, 3:67;nor pagan, 3:95; rejectsworship of heavenly bodies,4:75-79; on life to the dead,2:260; preaches to hispeople, 6:80-83; prays forfather, 9:113-114; 26:86;sacrifice of son, 37:99-111;Angels visit him, 11:69-73;his prayer, 14:35-41; 26:83-87; a model, 16:120-123;safe in fire, 21:69
Abu Lahab (Father of Flame),111:1-5;
‘Ad people, 7:65-72; 11:50-60;25:38
Adam, creation, 2:30-34; fall,2:35-39; 7:19-25; two sons(Abel and Cain), 5:27-31;tempted by Satan, 20:120-121
‘Adiyat, S.100Admonition, 87:9-13; 88:21 26Adultery, 17:32; 26:2-3, 4-10Ahmad, coming prophesied,
61:6Ahqaf, S.46Ahzab, S.33A’la, S.87‘Alaq, S.96Al ‘Imran, S.3An‘am, S.6Anbiya, S.21Anfal, S.8Angels, plea to God 2:30-34;
Gabriel and Michael, 2:97-98; sent for warning to men,16:2; on the Day of
Judgement, 25:25; asmessengers with wings,35:1; pray for forgivenessfor all on earth, 42:5;recording angels, 50:17-18,
Animals, 6:38; 16:5-8‘Ankabut, S.29A‘raf, S.7‘Asr, S.103
Badr (battle of), 3:13; 8:5-19,42-48
Bakkah (Makkah), 3:96Balad, S.90Balance, 43:17; 55:7-9; 57:25;
101:6-9Bani Isra’il, see Isra’, S.17Banu Nadir, 59:2-6Baptism of God, 2:138Baqarah, S.2Bara’ah, see Tawbah, S.9Barzakh, 23:100; 15:53; 55:20Bayyinah, S.98Believers, fear God, 3:102; to
fear nothing else, 10:62;hold together, 3:103; enjoinright and forbid wrong,3:104,110; protected byangels, 41:30-31; witnessesto fair dealing, 5:8; duties toGod. 5:35; 66:8; described,8:2-4; 9:71; 111-112;10:104-106; 13:20-24,28-29;to be firm, 7:45; to obey andnot lose heart, 8:46; not tobe weary and fainthearted,47:35; affection betweentheir hearts, 8:63; protecteach other, 9:71; rejoice intheir (spiritual) bargain,9:111; 61:10-11; to be withthose true in word and deed,9:119; to practice prayer andcharity, 14:31; to say what is
I N D E X
(476)
best, 17:53-55; to be heirs,to inherit Paradise, 23:10-11;not to despair or exult,57:23; to make peace, 49:9;to avoid suspicion andspying, 49:12; to rememberGod in humility, 57:16;sincere lovers of truth andwitnesses, 57:19; do whatthey say, 61:2-3; helpers toGod’s work, 61:14; trust inGod, 44:13
Bequests, 2:180Birds, 67:19Burdens of others, none can
bear, 6:164Buruj, S.85
Cave of Thawr, 9:40Cave, Companions of the,
18:9-22; 25-26Certainty, 56:95Charity, 2:110, 177, 195, 215,
219Christ, see JesusChristians, 2:138-140; 5:14;
nearest in love to Islam,5:82-85
Cities overthrown, 69:9Cleanliness, 4:43; 5:6Commerce that will never fail,
35:29Confederates, 33:9-20, 22:27Consultation, mutual, 42:38Courtesy, 4:86Covetousness, 3:180; 4:32;
57:24Cowardice, 3:122Creation begins and repeated,
10:4, 27:64; 29:19-20; anew, 8:5: 14:48; for justends, 15:85; 16:3; not forsport, 21:16-17; of man,23:12-14; in six Days, 7:54,
The Index is adapted from The Holy Quran: Text, Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.Published by Goodword Books, 2011.
32:4, 57:4; God commands‘Be’ and it is, 2:117; 16:40,36:82; 40:68; in trueproportions, 39:5; of heavenand earth greater thancreation of man, 40:57,79:27; purpose of, 51:56-58
Criterion, 2:53; 8:29; 21:48-50; 25:1
Dabbah (of the Last Days),27:82
Dahr, see Insan, S.76David, 6:84; 21:78-80; 34:10-
11; 38:17-26Day, 7:54; 22:47; 32:4-5;
41:12, 70:4Dead will be raised to life,
6:36Death, by God’s leave, 3:145Dhariyat, S.51Dhu al Kifl, 21:85; 38:48Dhu al Nun (Jonah), 21:87-88;
68:48-50Dhu al Qarnayn, 18:83-98Discipline, 3:152; 61:4Discord, incited by Evil, 41:36Divorce, 2:228-232, 236-237,
241; 65:1-7Dower, 2:229, 236-237; 4:4,
19-21, 25Duha, S.93Dukhan, S.44
Earth, will be change to adifferent Earth, 14:48.prepared for God’s creatures,15:19-20; 26:7; 77:25-28;spacious is God’s Earth,29:56; manageable for man,67:15; convulsion of, asymbol, 99:1-6
Elephant, Companions of the,105:1-5
Elias (Elijah), 6:85; 37:123-132
Elisha, 6:86; 38:48Evil, 4:51-55, 123; 10:27-30;
26:221-226; 42:36-39;comes from ourselves, butgood from God, 4:79; makesfools of men, 6:71;
recompensed justly, 6:160;will destroy Evil, 19:83; willcome to evil end, 30:10,deceives evil, 59:15-17;repel evil with good, 13:22;23:96; 41:34
Eyes, ears, and skins will bearwitness against sinners,41:20-23
Faith, rejectors of, 2:6-7, 165-167; ransom not accepted,5:36-37; lie against theirown souls, 6:24; will seeTruth in Hereafter, 6:28-30;hearts inclined to deceit,6:113; taste evil result ofconduct, 64:5-6; their wayand worship repudiated,109:1-6: signs of, 2:165,285: sellers of, 3:77, 177
Fajr, S.89Falaq, S.113Falsehood perishes, 21:18;
51:8-11Famines in Makkah, 23:75,
44:10Fasting, 2:184-185, 187Fate, man’s fate on his own
neck, 17:13Fath, S.48Fatihah, S.1Fatir, S.35Fear of God, what is, 2:2; as
He should be feared, 3:102;command to People of theBook and Muslims, 4:131;piety and restraint (taqwa),47:17; unseen, 67:12; of Hisdispleasure, 70:27;righteousness, 74:56
Fil, S.105Fire, parable, 2:17-18; mystic
Fire of Moses, 20:10; God’sgift, 56:72-73
Food, lawful and unlawful,2:168, 172-173; 5:1,3,5, 87-88; 6:118-119, 121, 145-146; 16:114-118; lessimportant than righteousness,5:93
Index 477
Forbidden, conduct, 6:151-152; 7:33; not things cleanand pure, 7:32
Forgiveness, 2:109; 4:48, 110,116; 57:21; duty ofBelievers, 42:37, 40; 45:14;Forgiveness, by Believers,for people of the Book,2:109; by God, for sinsother than joining gods withGod, 4:48, 110, 116; holdto, and command the right,7:199; God forgives all sins,39:53; God forgives thosewho avoid great sins andshameful deeds, 53:32; beforemost in seeking, 57:21
Fraud, 83:1-6Free will; no compulsion to
believe, 10:99; Truthoffered, to be accepted orrejected, 18:29; limited byGod’s Will, 74:56; 76:29-31,81:28-29; just bias, 82:7
Friends, 3:28Fruits and eating; 43:73;
47:15; 77:42-43Furqan, S.25
Gabriel, 2:97, 98, 66:4Gambling, 2:219; 5:90Ghashiyah, S.88God, Cherisher, 1:2; 6:164;
Guardian Lord, 2:21-22; as aGuardian on a Watchtower,89:14; protector, 2:257;3:150; 22:78; sets guardiansover man, 6:61; Helper,3:150; 4:45; 11:51; Creatorof all, 2:29, 117; 6:73;creates and sustains all,7:54; 11:6-7; 13:16-17; Lordof Bounties, 3:174;Merciful, 6:26; 5:74; 6:12,54, 133; Most Kind, 9:117-118; Full of loving-kindness.85:14; Beneficent, 52:28;His love bestowed on theRighteous, 19:96; Forgiving,4:25, 26; 5:74; guides, 6:71,88; 92:12; ordains laws and
grants guidance, 87:3; callsto Home of Peace. 10:25
God, His favours: Gardens andFruits, 6:141; cattle, 6:142;mercy after adversity, 10:21;traverse through land andsea, 10:22, in life and death,10:31, 56; 22:6; Cherisherand Sustainer, 10:32,direction, healing, guidance,mercy, 10:57; gifts fromheaven and earth. 14:32-33;numberless, 14:34; 16:18;cattle and things ye knownot, 16:5-8; rain, corn, andfruit, 16:10-11; night andday, sun, moon, and stars,gifts from heaven and earth,16:12-13; sea and ships,16:14; 17:66; mountains,rivers, roads, 16:15-16;subjection of earth and sea,22:65; blessings form heavenand earth, 23:17-22; longline of prophets, 23:23
God listens to the soul andmakes man inherit the earth,27:62; guides throughdarkness, winds as heralds,27:63; originates and repeatscreation, gives sustenance,27:64; feeds creation, 29:60-62; sends rain and revivesthe earth, 29:63; madeheaven and earth with all itsproduce, 31:10; subjected allthings to your use, 31:20;36:71-73; 45:12-13; HisMercy, gifts none canwithhold, 35:2-3; life, grain,fruits, and springs, 36:33-35;earth and the heavens,41:10-12; 51:47-48; acceptsrepentance and forgives,42:25; listens and givesincrease, 42:26-28; pearlsand coral, 55:22; ships,55:24; grants the need ofevery creature, 55:29, settlestheir affairs, 55:31; streamand flowing water, 67:30;
given heaven’s canopy itsorder and perfection, 79:27-28; night, its darkness andsplendour, 79:29; expanse ofthe earth, its moisturepasture, and mountains,79:30-33; orphan’s shelter,93:6; wanderer’s guide,93:7; satisfies need, 93:8;gives life and death, 3:156;4:95; 15:23; takes the soulsof men, 39:42
God, to Him go back allquestions for decision,3:109, 128; to Him tend allaffairs, 42:53; to Him is theGoal, 53:42; to Him is thereturn of all, 96:8
God, His Unity, 2:163; 6:19;16:22; One, not one in aTrinity, 5:72; nor one oftwo, 16:51; no begotten son,2:116; 6:100; 10:68; norconsort nor daughters,6:100-101; 16:57; nopartners, 6:22-23, 136-137,163
God, Wise, 4:26; 6:18; bestDisposer of Affairs, 3:173;73:9; Most High, Great,4:34; 87:1; Irresistible, 6:18,61; Doer of all He intends,85:16; power, 2:284; 53:42-54; 85:12-16; Self-Sufficient,6:133; Ready to appreciateservice, 14:5; 35:30; 64:7,Most Forbearing, 2:225,235, 263; 3:155; Wisest ofJudges, 95:8; Justice, 21:47;never unjust, 4:40; Best ofPlanners, 3:54, 13:42; willseparate evil from good,3:179; His Wrath, 1:7; 7:97-99; quick in retribution, butforgiving and merciful,7:167; 13:6; Swift in takingaccount, 24:39; Best todecide, 10:109; Best ofthose who show mercy,13:109, 118; Most Mercifulof those who show mercy,
478 Index
7:151; 12:64, 92; 21:83;decision with Him, 42:10;Exalted in power, Wise,31:9; 39:1; Free of allwants, 31:26; 35:15; Worthyof all praise, 31:26; Amplein forgiveness, 63:32;Living, 2:255; 40:65;Eternal, Command rests withHim, 6:57; 13:41;
God, Lord of the Throne ofGlory Supreme, 9:129;23:86; 40:15; 85:15; Lord ofthe Throne of Honour,23:16; Lord of the mysteryof heaven and earth, 16:77;Lord of Power, 51:58; Lordof the two East’s and thetwo West’s, 55:17; 70:40;73:9, Lord of the Dawn,93:1; Lord of the Ways ofAscent, 70:3; in heaven andon earth, 43:84; to Himbelong the End and theBeginning
God, changes not His Graceunless people changethemselves, 7:53; 13:11; willnot mislead, 9:115; suffersnot reward to be lost,witnesses all things, 10:61;understands the finestmysteries, 67:14; nature of,2:255; 3:2-3, 6, 18; 94:1-3;close to man, 2:186; evernear, 34:50; The Truth,20:114; to Him belong theForces of heavens and earth,47:7; decrees unalterable,6:34; 18:27; His word findsfulfillment, 6:115; no visioncan grasp Him, 6:103; mostbeautiful names, 7:180.17:110; 20:8; 59:24;
God, worship of, 2:114, 152;to be worshipped andtrusted, 11:123; sinceredevotion due to Him, 39:3-11; 40:14; we trust in Him,67:29: His promise is true,4:122; 14:47; seek his Face,
6:52; 18:28; dedicate life toHim, 6:162; call on Himhumbly, with fear andlonging, 7:55-56; forget Himnot, 59:19; to God, turn thyattention, 94:8; all Creationspeaks of Him, 13:12-13;17:44; 24:41-46; 57:1; praiseand glory to Him, 1:1;17:111; 30:17-19; His wordsinexhaustible, 18:109; 31:27;rejecters of, will not injureGod, 47:32; rejecter of,described, 50:24-26; who areHis servants, 25:63-76; thosemost devoted to God, 92:17-21; claim to exclusivefriendship of, condemned,62:6; ‘so please God’,18:23-24
Goliath, 2:249-251Good for evil, 23:96; 28:54,
41:34Gospel, 5:47
Hadid, S.57Hajj, see PilgrimageHajj, S.22Haman, 28:6, 38; 29:39;
40:36-37Ha Mim, S.41Hands and feet will bear
witness against sinners,36:65
Haqqah, S.69Harut, 2:102Hashr, S.59Heaven, as gardens, in
nearness to God, riversflowing, eternal home, 3:15,198; Companions pure andholy, cool shades, 4:57 forrighteous deeds, 4:124;truthful to profit from truth;gardens with flowing rivers;eternal home; Gardens,eternity, 9:21-22; Gardens,mansions, Good Pleasure ofGod, 9:72; Gardens,fountains, peace andsecurity, no lurking sense of
injury, nor fatigue, 15:45-48;Gardens of eternity, rivers,adornments, thrones, 18:31;22:23; Gardens of Eternity,no vain discourse, peace,sustenance, 19:61-63;Gardens as hospitablehomes, 32:19; Gardens ofeternity; adornments; sorrowremoved; no toil orweariness, 35:33-35; joy;associates; cool shade;thrones; all they call for;Peace, 36:55-58; fruits;honour and dignity; gardens;thrones; cup; chaste women,37:41-49; final return,gardens of eternity, ease,fruit and drink, chastewomen; 38:49-52; loftymansions, rivers, 39:20,garden, peace, eternity,angels singing, 39:73-75;meads of gardens; all theywish for; Bounty, 42:22; nofear nor grief; Gardens;rejoicing; dishes and gobletsof gold; eternity;satisfaction, 43:68-73;security, gardens andsprings, adornments,companions, fruit, no furtherdeath; supreme achievement,44:51-57, parable of garden,rivers, Grace from God,47:15; Garden; peace andsecurity; more than all Theywish; in Our Presence,50:31-35; Garden,happiness, food and drink;Fulfilment of heart’s desires;Gardens; Companions; Cup;No vanity or Untruth, 78:31-35; Garden, 79:41; Thrones;In their faces the beamingBrightness of Bliss, PureWine; Spring, 88:22-28, Joy;Striving; Garden; no Vanity;Spring; Throne; Cushions;Carpets, 88:8, 16; Rest andSatisfaction, coming back to
Index 479
God; well-pleased and well-pleasing to Him
Hell, skins roasted andrenewed, 4:56; of no profitare hoards and arrogantways, 7:48; for such as tookreligion to be amusement,and were deceived by thelife of the world, 7:51; filledwith jinn’s and men, 11:119;drink, boiling fetid water,14:16-17; Death will come,but will not die, 14:17;fetters, liquid pitch, facescovered with Fire. 14:49-50;garment of Fire, boilingwater, maces of iron, 22:19-22; Blazing fire, furious.25:11-12; Sinners boundtogether; will plead fordestruction, but thedestruction will be oft-repeated 25:13-14; thosewho deny the truth led incrowds, previously warned;abode of the arrogant;39:71-72; dispute and self-recrimination, 40:47-50; todwell for aye; punishmentnot lightened; overwhelmingdespair. 43:74; God notunjust; sinners unjustthemselves; 43:76; capacityunlimited, 50:30, Sinnersknown by their marks,55:41; Hell, which theydenied; boiling water, 55:43-44; Blast of Fire, BoilingWater, Shades of BlackSmoke, 56:42-44; drawing inits breath, bursting with fury,67:6-8; record in left hand;vain regrets, 69:25-29; seizehim, bind him, burn him,make him march in a chain,69:30-37; naught doth itpermit to endure, and naughtdoth it leave alone, 74:26-29; Over it are Nineteen,74:30-31; a place ofambush; destination for
transgressors; to dwelltherein for ages; taste therenothing cool nor drink, saveboiling fluid, or intenselycold, 78:21-25; Day whenhellfire shall be placed infull view, 79:35-39; stain onsinners’ hearts; Light of Godveiled from them; enter theFire, 83:14-16; faceshumiliated, enter the Fire;drink boiling water; foodbitter Dari, 88:2-7; they willneither die nor live, 20:74;87:13; to it are seven Gates,15:44, is it enternal? 11:107;who will pass over it?19:71; 102:6
Hereafter, not a falsehood,6:31; man must meet God,6:31; Home in the, 6:32;Wrath of God, 6:40-41;12:107; Home of Peace,6:127; wrongdoers will notprosper, 6:135; prophets andthose to whom Message wassent will he questioned, 7:6;deeds will be balanced, 7:8-9; no intercession for thosewho disregarded Hereafter,7:53; Fire and Gardenendure, except as God wills,11:107-108, the arrogant andthe weak in the, 14:21;wrongdoers will ask forrespite, 14:44-46; Home ofthe, 28:83; 29:64, better thansilver and gold, 43:33-35;denied by men, 50:12-14;better than the present, 93:4
Hijr, S.15Hud, 7:65-72; 11:50-60;
26:123-140Hud, S.11Hujurat, S.49Humazah, S.104Humility, 4:42-43; 7:161;
57:16Hunayn, 9:25Hypocrites, do not believe in
God and the Last Day. 2:8;
deceive themselves, 2:9;disease in their hearts, 2:10;make mischief, 2:11-12,fools and mockers, 2:13-15;barter guidance for error,2:16; 3:167-168; resort toevil; turn away fromRevelation; come whenseized by misfortune; to bekept clear of and admonised,4:60-63
Ibrahim, see AbrahamIbrahim, S.14‘Iddah, 2:228, 231-232, 234-
235; 33:49Idris, 19:56-57; 21:85Ikhlas S.112‘Illiyun, 83:18-21,Immorality, 4:15-18‘Imran, family of; 3:35Infitar, S.82Inheritance, 2:180, 240; 4:7-9,
11-12Injury, forgiveness or self-
defence, 42:39Insan, see Dahr, S.76Inshiqaq, S.84Inshirah, see Sharh, S.94Inspiration, 17:85-87; 40:15,
42:3, 7, 51-53Intercession, 6:51, 70; 10:3;
19:87; 39:44Iqra’, see ‘Alaq, S.96Iram, 89:7Isaac, 6:84; 21:72; 37:112-113Islam, 6:14, 163; 39:12; 9:100Isma’il, 2:125-129; 6:86;
19:54-55; 21:85Isra’, S.17Israel, Children of, 2:40-86;
favours, 2:47-53; 2:60, 122;45:16-17; contumacy, 2:54-59, 61, 63-74; their relationswith Muslims, 2:75-79; theirarrogance, 2:80, 88, 91; theirCovenants, 2:83-86, 93, 100;5:12; twice warned, 17:4-8;delivered from enemy,20:80-82; given Book andLeaders, 32:23-25; 40:53-54;
480 Index
the learned among themknew the Qur’an to be true,26:197
Jacob, 2:132-133, 6:84; 19:49;21:72
Jathiyah, S.45Jesus, a righteous prophet,
6:85; birth, 3:45-47; 19:22-23; messenger to Israel,3:49-51; disciples, 3:52-53;5:111-115; taken up, 3:55-58; 4:157-159; like Adam,3:59; not crucified, 4:157;sent with Gospel, 5:46; notson of God, 9:30; Messageand miracles, 5:19:30-33;prays for Table of viands,5:114; disciples as God’shelpers, 61:14; as a Sign,23:50; 43:61; prophesiedAhmad. 61:6
Jews, and Christians, 2:140;4:153-161, 171; 5:18; Seealso Israel, Children of
Jinn, S.72Jinn, 6:100; 15:27; 34:41;
46:29-32; 55:15Job, 6:84; 21:83-84; 38:41-44John (the Baptist), see YahyaJonah or Jonas, or (Yunus),
4:163; 6:86; 10:98; 37:139-148; 21:87
Joseph, 6:84; his story, 12:4-101
Judgment, must come, 6:51;6:128; will come suddenly,7:187; 36:48-50; as thetwinkling of an eye, 16:77;54:50; Hour known to Godalone, 33:63, 67:26; 79:42-46; is near, 54:1-5; deniersof, 107:1-7
Judgment Day, fullrecompense only then,3:185; earth changed, andmen fathered; Book ofDeeds, 18:47-49; men surgelike waves; trumpet blown;those who deny the truthwill see and hear, 18:99-
101; sectarian differences tobe solved; Distress for lackof Faith, 19:37-39; rejectersof the message will bear agrievous burden, 20:100-101; trumpet will sound;sinful in terror; interval willseem short, 20:102-104; theywill follow the Caller; trumpof their feet; all soundshumbled; 20:108; noIntercession except bypermission, 20:109; no fearfor the righteous, 20:112;rejecters will be raised upblind, 20:124-127; the Goodwill suffer no grief, 21:97-103; heavens rent as under;angels sent down; Dominionwholly for God, 25:25-26;wrongdoer’s regrets, 25:27-30; guilty in despair, noIntercessor, 30:12-13; justicedone, 36:51-54; joy andpeace for the Good, 36:55-58; retribution for evil,37:37-39; felicity forservants of God, 37:40-61;Tree of Zaqqum, 37:62-68;trumpet; all in heaven andearth will swoon; secondtrumpet, renewed Earth willshine with God’s Glory;recompense, 39:67-70;sudden; friends will be foes,except the righteous, 43:66-67; no fear on God’sdevotees, 43:68-69; dealersin falsehood to perish;righteous to obtain Mercy,45:27-35; not to be averted;Angels will bear the Throne;nothing hidden; Good andEvil recompensed, 69:13-37;sky like molten brass; nofriend will ask after friend;no deliverance for evil, 70:8,18; sky cleft asunder, 73:17-18; trumpet; Day of Distressfor those without Faith,74:8-10; stars become dim;
messengers collect; sortingout, 77:7-15; woe toRejecters of Truth, 77:29-50;sorting out; Trumpet;heavens opened; mountainsvanish; 78:17-20; Spirit andAngels stand forth; Day ofReality, 78:38-40;commotion and agitation,79:6-9; single Cry, 79:13-14;Deafening Noise; no one foranother; some Facesbeaming; some dust stained,80:33-42; sun, stars,mountains, outer naturechange; souls sorted out;World on High unveiled,81:1-14; sky cleft asunder;stars and Oceans scattered;Graves turned upside down;each soul will know itsdeeds, 82:1-5; no soul cando aught for another, 82:17-19
Judi, Mount, 11:44Jumu‘ah, S.62Justice, 4:58, 65, and 105,
135, 7:29
Ka‘bah, built by Abraham,2:125-127; no killing ofgame, 5:94-96
Kafirun, S.109Kafur, Cup mixed with, 76:5Kahf, S.18Kawthar (Fount of
Abundance), 108:1-2Kawthar, S.108Keys of heavens and earth,
39:63; 42:12Khandaq, battle, 33:9-20Kindred, rights of, 2:83, 177
4:7-9, 36; 8:41; 16:90;17:26; 24:22; 42:23
Lahab. see Masad, S.111Layl, S.92Life of this world, 6:32; 57:20Life sacred, 17:33Light, manifest, 4:174; and
Darkness, 6:1; parable of,24:35-36; goes before and
Index 481
with Believers, 57:12-15;66:8; provided by God, thatBelievers may walk straight,57:28; of God, veiled fromthose who deny the truth,88:15
Loan, beautiful, to God, 2:245,and 57:11, 18; 64:17; 78:20
Loss (spiritual), 39:15Lote tree, 34:16; 53:14-18;
56:28Luqman, 31:12; his teaching,
31:12-19Luqman, S.31Lut (Lot), 6:86, 7:80-84;
11:77-83
Ma‘arij, S.70Madinah, 33:9-27Madyan, 7:85-93; 11:84-95;
29:36-37Magians (Majus), 12:17Ma’idah, S.5Makkah, Bakkah, 3:96; mystic
relation to Prophet, 90:1-4;city of security, 95:3
Man, inherator on earth, 2:30;6:165; tested by God, 2:155;3:186; duty, 4:1-36; 17:23-39; 29:8-9; created fromclay, for a term, 6:2; 15:26;called to account, 6:44; willreturn to God, 6:60, 72;10:45-46; personalresponsibility, 6:164;ungrateful, 7:10; 36:45-47;warned against Satan, 7:27;knows of God, but misledby Evil, 7:172-175; andfamily life, 7:189-190;limited Free Will, 10:99;behaviour in and out oftrouble, 10:12; 11:9-11;16:53-55; God’s spiritbreathed into him, 15:29;lowly in origin, but blessedwith favours, 16:4-8, 32:7-9;35:11; to be judged by hisrecord, 17:71; his physicalgrowth, 22:5, 23:12-14;40:67; death and
resurrection, 23:15-16;tongues, hands, and feet willbear witness against men,24:24; made from water,25:54; relationships oflineage and marriage, 25:54;should submit Self to God,31:22; not two hearts in onebreast, 33:4; to worshipGod, 39:64-66; misfortunes,due to his deeds, 42:30,angels note his doings,50:17-18, 23; his growth andactivity depend on God,56:57-74; to be createdagain after death in newforms, 56:60-61; riches andfamily may be a trial, 64:14-15; created and provided forby God, 67:23-24; 74:12-15;is impatient, 70:19-21; guiltyof sins, 89:17-20; createdinto toil and struggle, 90:4;gifted with faculties, 90:8-10; strives for diverse ends,92:4-11; created in best ofmoulds, 95:4
Mankind, one nation, 2:213;10:19; created from singlepair, 4:1; 39:6; 49:13
Manners, about enteringhouses, 24:27-29; in thehome, 24:58-61; among thecommunity, 49:11; inassemblies, 58:11
Marriage, with those who denythe truth, 2:221, to howmany, lawful, 4:3; dower notto be taken back (in case ofdivorce), 4:20-21; prohibiteddegrees, 4:22-24; it’ nomeans to wed free believingwomen, 4:25; if breachfeared, two arbiters to beappointed, 4:35; if wife fearscruelty or desertion,amicable settlement, 4:128:turn not away from awoman, 4:129; with chasteones among People of theBook, 5:6; of adulterers,
24:3; to those who are poor,24:32; those who cannotafford marriage, to keepthemselves chaste until Godgives them means, 24:33;Prophet’s Consorts, 33:28-29, 50-52; withoutcohabitation, no ‘iddah ondivorce, 33:49; conditionsfor the Prophet, 33:50-52;
Mary (mother of Jesus], birth,3:35-37; annunciation ofJesus, 3:42-51, 4:156; 19:16-21; in child birth, 19:23-26;brought the babe to herpeople, 19:27-33; guardedher chastity, 21:91; 66:12
Maryam, S.19Masad, S.111Ma’un, S.107Measure and weight, give full,
17:35; 83:1Miracles, see Signs of GodMischief on land and sea,
30:41; 93:1-5Monasticism disapproved,
57:27Months, number of, 9:35-37Moses, and his people, 2:51-
61; advises Israelites, 5:23-29; guided by God, 6:84;and Pharaoh, 7:103-137;10:75-92; 11:96-99; resistsidol worship, 7:138-141;sees the Glory on theMount, 7:142-145; reproveshis people for calf-worship,and prays for them, 7:148-156; his people, 7:159-162;nine clear Signs, 7:133;17:101; to the junction ofthe two Seas, 18:60-82; hiscall, 19:51-53; 20:9-56;28:29-35; his childhood,mother, and sister, 20:38-40;28:7-13; converts Egyptianmagicians, 20:70-73; 26:46-52; indignant at calf-worship, 20:86-98; and themystic Fire, 27:7-14; 28:29-35; his mishap in the City,
482 Index
28:14-21; in Madyan, 28:22-28; guided to straight way,37:114-122; Books of,53:36; 87:19; vexed by hispeople, 61:5
Mosques, 9:17-19, 28Mountains, 20:105-107; 21:31;
31:10Muddaththir, S.74Muhammad, the Prophet, his
mission, 7:158; 48:8-9,respect due to messenger,2:104; 4:46; no more than amessenger, 3:144; gentle,3:159; sent as favour toBelievers, 3:164; 4:170; andto People of the Book, 5:21;a mercy to Believers, 9:61;mercy to all creatures,21:107; his work, 3:164;4:70-71; 6:107; not mad orpossessed, 7:184; 68:2;81:22; warner, 7:184, 188;15:89; his teaching, 11:2-4;12:108; 34:46-50; God iswitness to his mission,13:43; 29:52; 46:8; to inviteand argue, in ways mostgracious, 16:125-128;inspired, 18:110; 63:2-18;mocked, 25:41-42; 34:7-8;asks no reward, 25:57;34:47; 38:86; 42:23; hisduty, 27:91-93; 30:30; hishousehold (consorts), 33:28-34, 50-53, 55, 59; 64:1, 3-6;close to Believers, 33:6;beautiful pattern of conduct,33:21; seal of the Prophets,33:40; universal Messengerto men, 34:28; fealty to himis fealty to God, 48:10, 18;Messenger of God, 48:29;resist him not, 58:20-22;foretold by Jesus, 61:6,foretold by Moses, 46:10,his Religion to prevail overall religion, 61:9; unlettered,7:157; 62:2; leads fromdarkness to light, 65:11; tostrive hard, 66:9; exalted
standard of character, 68:4:not a poet or soothsayer,69:40-43; devoted to prayer,73:1-8, 20; 74:3; witness,73:15-16; and the blind man,80:1-10; saw the Angel ofRevelation, 53:4-18; 81:22-25; to adore God and bringhimself closer to him, 96:19;rehearsing scriptures, 98:2
Muhammad, S.47Mujadilah, S.58Mulk, S.67Mu’min, see Ghafir, S.40Mu‘minun, S.23Mumtahinah, S.60Munafiqun, S.63Murder, 2:178-179; 5:35Mursalat, S.77Muslim men and women,
befitting conduct, 33:35-36Muzzammil, S.73
Naba’, S.78Nahl, S.16Najm, S.53Names, most beautiful, of
God, 7:180, 17:110; 20:8;59:24
Naml, S.27Nas, S.114Nasr, S.110Nature declares God’s praises,
24:41-44; 50:6-11; showsGod’s goodness, and thatHis Promise is true, 78:6-16
Naziyat, S.79News, to be tested, 4:83Niggards condemned, 17:29;
47:38Night as a symbol, 79:29,
92:1; 93:2Night of Destiny, 97:1-5Nisa, S.4Noah, 6:84; 7:59-64; 10:71-73;
unrighteous son not saved,11:45-47; Wife unrighteous,66:10
Nuh, S.71Nur, S.24
growth, 57:20; mountain thathumbles itself; 59:21;donkey, 62:51; if stream ofwater be lost, 67:30; Peopleof the Garden, 68:17-33
Parents, kindness to, 17:23;29:8
‘Partners’ of God, a falsehood,10:34-35
Patience and perseverance,2:45, 153; 3:186, 200;10:109; 11:115
“Peace,” the greeting of theRighteous, 7:46; 10:10;14:23:36:58
Peace, incline towards, 8:61Peace, salam, meaning, 19:62Peace, Sakinah, Tranquility,
11:26, 40; 48:4, 18, 26Pearls well guarded, 52:24;
56:23Pen, 68:1; 96:4-5Penalty for sin, 3:188; 6:15-
16; 10:50-53. Persecutionwith Fire, 85:1-11
Personal responsibility, 4:164;10:30: 14:51:53:38-41
Pharaoh, cruelty, 2:49;drowned, 2:50, people of,14:41-42; dealings withMoses, 7:103-137; 10:75-92;see Moses; body saved, onaccount of repentance,10:90-92; denies God,28:38; 79:24; a man fromhis People confesses Faith,40-28-44; arrogant to theIsraelites, 44:17-33; wiferighteous, 66:11; sin anddisobedience, 69:9; 73:16
Pilgrimage, 2:158, 196-203;3:97; 5:2; 22:26-33
Piling up, 102:1-4Prayer, 1:1-7; 2:238-239; 3:8,
26-27; be steadfast in, 2:110,during travel, or in danger,4:101-104; due to Godalone, 13:14-15
Prayers, the five canonical,11:114; 17:78-79; 20:130;30:17-18; why all prayers
Index 483
Oaths, 2:224-227Obedience, 3:132Obligations to be fulfilled, 5:1Orphans, 2:220; 4:2, 6, 10,
127; 17:34
Pairs, in all creatures, 13:3;31:10
Parables, man who kindled alire, 2:17-18; rain-ladencloud 2:19-20; goatherd,2:171; hamlet in ruins,2:259; grain of corn, 2:261;hard, barren rock, 2:264;fertile garden, 2:265-266;rope, 3:103, frosty wind,3:117; dog who lolls out histongue, 7:176; underminedsandcliff, 9:109-110; rainand storm, 10:24; blind anddeaf, 11:24; garden of joy,13:35; ashes blown about bywind, 14:18; goodly trees,with roots, branches, andfruit, 14:24-25; evil tree,14:26; slave versus manliberally favoured, 16:75;dumb man versus one whocommands justice, 16:76;women who untwists heryarn, 16:92, City favouredbut ungrateful, 16:112-113;two men, one proud of hispossessions and the otherabsorbed in God, 18:32-44;this life like rain, pleasantbut transitory. 18:45-46; fallfrom Unity, like beingsnatched up by birds orcarried off by winds, 22:31;a fly, 22:73; Light, 24:35-36;mirage, 24:39; depths ofdarkness, 24:40; spider,29:41; partners, 30:28;Companions of the City,36:13-32;one master andseveral masters, 39:29;Garden promised to theRighteous with four kinds ofrivers, 47:15; seed growing,48:29; rain and physical
not answered, 42:27Precautions in danger, 4:71Prisoners of War, 8:67-71Prohibited Degrees in
marriage, 4:22-24Property, 2:188; 4:5, 29; to be
distributed equitably, 59:7-9Prophets, 2:253; continuous
line, 23:23-50, 57:26-27;covenants from, 3:81; 33:7-8; never false to their trusts,3:161; rejected, 3:184; 6:34;25:37, 34:45; 51:52-55;slain, 3:183; all to bebelieved in, 4:150-152, togive account, 5:109;mocked, 6:10; 13:32; 15:11;21:41; why sent, 6:48, 131;14:4-6; had enemies, 6:112;25:31; rehearse God’s Signs,7:35-36; sent to everypeople, 10:47; 16:36; hadfamilies, 13:38; human, butguided, 14:10-12; persecutedand threatened, 14:13;witnesses against theirpeople, 16:89; andMessengers, meaning, 19:51;one brotherhood, 23:52-54;some named, some not,40:78
Prophet’s Consorts, extraresponsibilities and duties,33:28-34; who are to be,33:50-52, respect due tothem, 33:53-55; respect dueto Prophet’s Consorts andbelieving men and women,33:56-58; Prophet’s wivesand daughters and allbelieving women to bemodest, 33:59-62; Prosperity(spiritual) 87:4-15; success,91:9-10
Publicity versus secrecy, 4:148Punishment, for man’s
arrogance and rebellion,96:15-18, abiding - forwilful rebellion, but not afterrepentance, nor for minorsins, 79:37
Qadr, S.97Qaf, S.50Qalam, S.68Qamar, S.54Qari’ah, S.101Qarun, Korah, 28:76-82; 29:39Qasas, S.28Qiblah, 2:142-145, 149-150Qiyamah, S.75Quran, Message, 4:82, 6:19;
cannot be produced by otherthan divine agency, 2:23;10:38; 11:13; 17:89; verses,fundamental and allegorical,3:7; 11:1; God is witness,6:19; God’s revelation, 6:92;7:105-107; 27:6; 45:2;follow it and do right,6:155; respect and attentiondue to, 7:204-206; Book ofWisdom, 10:1; 31:2; 36:2; inArabic, 12:2; 13:37;described, 13:31, 36-37;makes things clear, 15:1;25:33; not to be made intoshreds, 15:91; purpose ofrevelation, 16:64-65;language pure Arabic,16:103; good news andwarning, 17:9-10; and thosewho deny the truth, 17:45-47; healing and mercy,17:82; explains similitude’s,17:89; 18:54; 39:27; nocrookedness therein, 18:1-2;carries own evidence, 29:47-49, 51; guide and mercy,31:3; Truth from God, 32:3;35:31; beautiful Messageconsistent with itself, 39:23;instructs mankind, 39:41,80:11-12; no falsehood canapproach it, 41:42; sameMessage to earlier prophets,41:43; 43:44-45; not sent toworldly leaders; 43:31-32;seek earnestly to understand,47:24, admonish with,50:45; taught by God, 55:1-2; to be received withhumility, 59:21; how to be
484 Index
read and studied, 2:121;75:16-18; in books ofhonour and dignity; 80:13-16; Message to all theWorlds, 81:26-29, those whodeny the truth reject it,84:20-25; Tablet Preserved,85:21-22; See also Book,and Revelation
Quraysh, S.106
Ra’d, S.13Rahman, S.55Raiment of righteousness is
best, 7:26Rain, God’s gift, 56:68-70Ramadan, 2:185Religion, no compulsion in,
2:256Repentance, with amendment,
accepted, 6:54,42:25Resurrection, 16:38-40; 17:49-
52Retaliation disapproved, 5:45Revelation, doubts solved,
2:23; of Moses and Jesus,2:87; abrogated or forgotten,2:106; guidance, 3:73; toProphet and those beforehim, 5:48; Word thatdistinguishes Good fromEvil, 86:11-14; do notentertain doubt about, 6:114;11:17; purpose of, 7:2, 203;in stages, 16:101; throughthe Holy Spirit, 16:102-103;26:192-199; to beproclaimed, 96:1; nature of,41:2-4, 6-8; 69:50-51; 81:15-21; See also Book, andQuran
Revile not false gods, 6:108Reward, without measure,
3:27; 39:10; better than deeddeserves, 27:84; 30:39;according to best of deeds,and more, 24:38; 29:7;39:35; for good, no rewardother than good, 55:60
Righteous, company of the,4:69; shall inherit the earth,
21:105; described, 51:15-19;76:5-12
Righteousness, 2:177, 207-208, 212
Rum, S.30
Saba’, S.34Saba’, 27:22; 34:15-21,Sabbath, transgressors of,
7:163-166; made strict,16:124
Sabians, 2:26, 5:69; 22:17Sacrifice, 22:34-37Sad, S.38Safa and Marwah, 2:158Saff, S.61Saffat, S.37Sajdah, S.32Salih, 7:73-79; 11:61-68;
26:141-159; 27:45-53Salsabil, 76:18Samiriy, 20:85, 20:95-97Satan, 2:36; 4:117-120; 24:21;
excites enmity and hatred,5:91; resist his suggestions,7:200-201; deceives, 8:48;reproaches own followers,14:22;evil spirit, rejected,accursed, 3:36; 15:17; 15:34;16:98;has no authority overBelievers, 16:99-100;suggests vanity, 22:52-53; isan enemy, 35:6; 36:60
Scandal, 24:19; 104:1Scriptures, people of the, 2:62;
kept pure and holy, 98:2Secrecy, when permissible,
4:114; in counsels,disapproved, 58:7-10
Sects and divisionsdisapproved, 30:32, 42:13-14; 43:64-65, 45:17, 28
Seed, grows by God’sprovidence, 56:63-67
Shameful things to beshunned, 7:28
Shams, S.91Ship, sailing of, as a Sign,
2:164Shu‘ara’, S.26Shu‘ayb, 7:85-93; 11:84-95;
29:36-37Shura, S.42Signs of God, demanded by
those without knowledge,clear to those with Faith,2:118; in the creation of theheavens and the earth,2:164; 3:190; made clear,that men may consider,2:219-220; day and night asSigns, 17:12; in nature andall creation, 10:5-6; 30:20-27; 45:3-6; self evidentSigns, the Book, 29: 49-51;winds and ships, 30:46;42:32-35; ships, 31:31; theNight, sun and moon, 36:37-40; the Ark through theFlood, and similar ships,36:41-44; in this life, 39:59;rejecters are deluded, 40:63;rain and revived Earth,41:39-40; in the farthestregions of the earth, and intheir own souls, 41:59; nospecial Sign (miracle) given,6:109; 10:20; 8:7
Sijjin, 88:7-9Sin, 4:30-32, 36-39, 107-112,
116; God forgives all sins,39:53
Sinai, 19:52; 95:2Sinners, 23:63-77; 26:200-209;
83:29-36; their hearing,sight, and skins will bearwitness, 41:20-23
Slander, 11:79; 24:23; 68:11-12
Solomon, 2:102; 6:84; 21:79,81-82; and the ants, 27:18-19; and the Hoopoe, 27:22-26; and the Queen of Saba’,27:22-44
Son, adopted, 33:4-5Soul, burden not greater than
it can bear, 2:286; 7:42;23:62; responsibility, 3:30;74:38; justly dealt with,16:111; taste of death,21:35; enters heaven, notbody, 89:27-30
Index 485
Spendthrifts condemned,17:26-29; 25:67
Spirit, the, 70:4, n. 5677;78:38; 97:4; the Holy, Godstrengthened Jesus with,2:87, 253; God’s, breathedinto man, 15:29; ofinspiration, 17:85-86; Godstrengthens Believers with,58:22
Stars, 7:54; 16:12, 16; 22:18;37:6-10
Striving, 9:20, 81; 22:78Suffering, adversity, and
prosperity, 7:94-96Sun, 91:1Superstitions, 5:103; 6:138-
140, 143-144Sustenance, literal and
figurative, 10:59, 16:73,19:62,42:12; 51:57-58,67:21
Taghabun, S.64Ta Ha, S.20Tahrim, S.66Takathur, S.102Takwir, S.81Talaq, S.65,Taqwa, meaning, 2:2, 59:18-
19Tariq, S.86Tatfif, see Mutaffifin, S.83Tawbah, S.9Term appointed, for every
people, 7:34; 10:49; 15:4-5;16:61; 20:129
Testing, by God, 3:154, and34:21
Thamud, 7:73-79; 11:61-68Theft, punishment, 5:38-39Those who deny the truth,
plot in vain, 8:30; despiserevelation, 8:31; challenge aPenalty, 8:32-35; prayersempty, 8:35; spend forwrong purposes, 8:36; pastforgiven; if they repent,8:38; 9:11; break covenants,8:56; will not frustrate thegodly, 8:60-61; protect eachother, 8:73; described, 9:73-
78; 14:3, will wish they hadbelieved, 15:2; will beardouble burdens, 16:25; to becovered with shame, 16:27;dispute vainly, 18:56-57;their efforts wasted, 18:102-106; their arrogance, 19:73-82; 35:43, deeds like mirage,24:39; as in depths ofdarkness, 24:40; mutualrecriminations at Judgement,34:31-33: self-glory andseparatism, 38:2-14; disputeabout the Signs of God,40:4-6, hate truth, 43:78
Time, 76:1, 103:1-3;Tin, S.95Traffic and Trade, 4:29Travel through the earth, 6:11;
22:46Treasures of God, 6:50; 6:59;
11:31; 15:21Treaties, 11:1-4; 11:7-10Trials, 2:214-218Trumpet, on Day of
Judgement, 6:73Trust offered to Heavens,
earth, and Mountains,undertaken by Man, 33:72-73; Trusts, 4:58; 8:27
Truth, 23:70-71, 90; Rejectersof, 77:1-50; 98:1-6
Uhud, lessons of, 3:121-128,140-180
Ummah, 2:143-144‘Umrah, 2:196Unity, 2:163; 6:19; 92:1-4Usury, 2:275-276; 2:278-280;
486 Index
3:130‘Uzayr, 9:30‘Uzza, 53:19
Vain discourse to be avoided,6:68
Wadd, 71:23Waqi’ah, S.56Warning before destruction,
17:16Waste not, 6:141; 7:31Water, animals created from,
21:30; 24:45; 25:54; twobodies of flowing water,25:53; 18:60, 35:12; 55:19-20, God’s Throne over thewaters, 11:7; circulation of,23:1
Wealth, hoarding condemned,104:2-3
Widows, 2:234-235, 240Will of God, 10:99-100;
81:29; 82:8Winds, like heralds of glad
tidings, 7:57-58; 15:22,30:46, 48, 51; mysticsymbolism, 77:1-6
Wine, 2:219, 5:90, heavenlywine, 47:15; 76:21; 83:25
Witnesses, among men, 2:143;22:78
Woman, wronged, pleaaccepted, 58:1-2
Women, 2:222-223; 4:15, 19-22, 34, 127; to bereverenced, 4:1; falsecharges against, 24:4-5, 11-20; 24:23-26; modesty,
24:30-31; believing,refugees, 60:10-12
World, this, but play andamusement, 6:32; 29:64;47:36; 57:20; deceives men,6:130; not to be preferred,9:38-39; 13:26; 28:60-61;gets its reward, but not inHereafter, 11:15-17; 17:18;42:20, man loves, 75:20-21;76:27;
Worship, true worship andcharity, 107:2-7
Writing, for contracts, 2:282Wrongdoers, 11:18-22, 101-
104
Yahya (John the Baptist),birth, 3:39; 6:85; hischaracter and position,19:12-15; reverenced God,21:90
Ya Sin, S.36Yunus, S.10; see also JonahYusuf, S.12; see also Joseph
Zayd the freed man, 33:37-38Zachariah (Zakariya), 3:37-11;
6:85; 19:2-11; 21:90Zakat (Prescribed Charity),
2:43Zanjabil, 76:17Zaqqum, 37:62-66; 44:43-46;
56:52Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh,
33:37-38Zihar, 33:4; 58:2-4Zalzalah, S.99Zukhruf, S.43Zumar, S.39
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